Culture

It’s been shown that white students have an advantage in the college admission process. Why is that, you might wonder? This has everything to do with how Black youth, particularly first-generation college students, are being aided on their road to college. ScholarPrep Nation strongly supports the academic journey of each student in need of expert guidance.

Although we continue to push for inclusivity in education, the college application process is still confusing. The solution? To permanently demystify the college and scholarship application processes while raising awareness on topics surrounding financial aid or standardized tests. All applicants deserve a fair chance at college success. For this reason, we should explore an Afrocentric approach.

In today’s article, let us decide whether an Afrocentric approach to college admission would be appropriate or not. In the context of the ongoing racism in education, it would be wise for school leaders to adopt a more culturally affirming counseling strategy.

College Admission Seen Through Afrocentric Lens

What exactly is Afrocentrism and how can it enable institutions to aid their students as the college search commences? In a nutshell, Afrocentrism deals with acknowledging and celebrating Black youth’s African heritage. College admission is often unpredictable and admissions officers tend to make their own rules. We need a considerable perspective shift. 

Dr. Asa Hilliard is the classic example of a professor dedicated to exploring Afrocentric pedagogy. Among many other achievements, he dared to envision a brand-new K-12 curriculum that infused Afrocentric knowledge into every single subject. His passion for African culture and tradition continues to be forward-thinking years later.

Similarly to Dr. Hilliard, other scholars with a penchant for African studies are undoubtedly worth studying throughout one’s K-12 years. To ignore the lifelong work of such anti-racist geniuses is to consciously sabotage the growth of our youth. Furthermore, healthy self-awareness levels have the power to bring about the desire for academic achievement. 

College admission counseling should become culturally affirming and eager to nurture Black excellence. Equipped with the Afrocentric vision to achieve college success, the young scholars will be aptly guided to fill in their college applications as early as junior year, without the stress caused by uncertainty and confusion.

Equitable College Admissions Rely On Inclusivity in Education

As colleges weigh new admissions strategies and seek to support diversity, they continue to disregard the biggest, most inconvenient issue ━ racism is affecting the college admission process. That is to say, no matter how efficient and culturally empowering college admission counseling is, most students will face racism head-on due to overly-selective colleges that block the equal access of each applicant.

Legacy preferences in college admissions continue to perpetuate unfair circumstances. This concern raises civil rights implications that are impossible to ignore. The lack of transparency regarding the scholarship and college application and admission processes negatively impacts our youth. Consequently, Black students are much more likely to face student debt.

Although most high school counselors are dedicated to creating a more equitable academic environment, they are often taken aback by the students’ academic achievement gaps. Instead of taking a proactive approach, they may be inclined to resort to punitive measures. This stifles the efforts of college counseling throughout the nation, creating race gaps that are difficult to manage. However, there are culturally affirming solutions worth considering.

ScholarPrep Nation: An Afrocentric College Access Program

Financial aid, extracurricular activities, or Advanced Placement classes could certainly impress the admissions officer. However, Black youth must be given the right tools and resources in order to aptly tackle the college and scholarship application processes. As soon as these two are well taken care of, college admission could become considerably easier. 

ScholarPrep Nation doesn’t care solely about the young scholars’ test scores. Our mission is to ensure college success and familiarize the students with what awaits them post-high school. Our expertise in terms of college and scholarship applications is meant to take the pressure off high school leaders and counselors.

African-American students deserve to get into the colleges of their dreams. Unfortunately, they often lack the tools and resources in order to make the best decisions.Their academic achievement levels rely on our combined efforts. Together, we can boost college counseling efforts and help students apply without any confusion or stress.

Help Black Youth Access Higher Education Now!

Becoming college and scholarship-ready cannot happen overnight, especially not during one’s senior year. Instead, college graduation levels are determined by how well we assist and guide young scholars as early on as possible.

ScholarPrep Nation possesses the cultural and academic expertise you’ve been looking for. Allow us to prepare your African-American students for collegiate success in an efficient and professional manner. 

Contact us now and tell us more about your school’s goals and needs! We’re here to help you every step of the way. Inclusivity in education is entirely achievable. We look forward to hearing from you!

What do most parents and educators have in common? They all want to actively participate in the child development process and watch the young ones succeed from very early on. Family engagement activities for preschoolers are a necessary tool for high-quality, early childhood education. The Village Method has always emphasized this aspect.

According to the Harvard Family Research Project, the parent-teacher partnership is a substantial building block for enabling great family engagement. The communication between the two will ultimately nurture school readiness. There are various ways in which we can encourage trusting relationships. Family engagement activities are the stepping stones that lead to academic excellence.

In this article, we’ll explore why family engagement activities for preschoolers are necessary and find out some practical tips on how early-childhood educators can start applying them right away. Keep on reading!

Why Are Family Engagement Activities for Preschoolers Necessary?

Family involvement is a vital part of early learning, as it promotes academic excellence and nurtures positive relationships between families and teachers. However, cultural and language barriers continue to showcase the legacy of a society plagued by systemic racism. 

Oftentimes, the school has little to no interest in discovering what differentiates our youth from others. Families feel they are rarely consulted or regarded as valuable partners. Instead, they are perceived as lacking the necessary knowledge that could help improve their child’s learning capabilities.

Family engagement activities for preschoolers foster healthy skills and attitudes, aid in achieving some of the most important targeted goals, and create a sense of continuous support throughout the K-12 years. 

Minority families deserve a welcoming environment and a culturally affirming approach whenever they share their ideas with the teachers. They ought to be involved every step of the way, from curriculum development to family engagement activities. 

Boost Early Childhood Education With Literacy Activities

One of the easiest ways to ensure academic excellence and boost learning experiences is to have the parent participate in evidence-based family engagement activities. Systemic racism against young Black children is well-documented and literacy relies on how well you’re involving families in their children’s academic journey.

Start off with the basics. Increase the families’ confidence levels and efficiently teach them how to motivate their young children to read or do some basic maths exercises at home. Look out for any additional ideas that the parents might have and incorporate them into your problem-solving solutions.

Soon enough, the community of parents will be confident enough to lend the children a helping hand when it comes to reading and discovering the wonders of the alphabet. A warm environment and a culturally supportive approach will always come in handy. Remember, the parents are looking for helpful tips, not for a judgemental approach.

Celebrate Diversity and Engage Family Members

Considering the fact that systemic racism is prevalent throughout American history, it’s needless to say that minorities continue to fight for equality and search for alternatives. Culturally respectful and engaging after-school programs have been the go-to for decades. Regardless of age, students must get in touch with their history and roots.

What if schools could successfully engage families and celebrate the students’ cultural differences? Black History Month activities are not enough. Try to implement frequent, Afrocentric family engagement activities throughout the year and rely on the parents’ expertise. If you do so, their children’s self-expression skills will develop harmoniously during their preschool years.

Family engagement activities for preschoolers are the perfect opportunity to empower children and show them that African culture and traditions matter. Invite knowledgeable people from minority communities and organize interactive events that will help counteract systemic racism and raise awareness levels.

Always Be on the Same Page With the Parent

Family engagement activities for preschoolers, whether they happen at school or during after-school programs, should always rely on clear academic resources and data. Understand the parent on a deeper level and leave aside all stereotypical or biased talk.

Systemic racism can only be counteracted by striving for academic excellence. Any child is capable of greatness. However, they all need a gentle nudge in the right direction. The parent works the same way. They want to feel seen, heard and understood before they can open up to the teachers. 

Education is not a two-way street. It should only lead to academic excellence through constant parental involvement. Although after-school activities are considerably taking over, schools still have the chance to promote family engagement and revitalize the preschool classroom.

The school environment is rather hostile, especially towards Black families. If we want the parents to continue instructing their children at home, teachers must find the right resources in order to support a sense of community in the preschool classroom.

Family Engagement Activities For Preschoolers Need to Be Implemented Now

Good preschool teachers inculcate valuable information into a child’s brain early on. Great ones prioritize family engagement activities and identify ways to fight against the systemic racism that many of our young children have to deal with, inside and outside of the classroom.

Establishing partnerships might not be easy but it isn’t impossible. If after-school activities can empower children and their families, why can’t schools do the same thing? We believe that the time for a change has finally come.

The Village Method is more than just an after-school program. We are a grassroots organization and community of dedicated people. We hold the well-being of parents and their young children at the very core of our mission. We build villages of culturally conscious children and never hesitate to get the parents involved in after-school activities that empower them to be better and do better.

Get involved now and help us deliver valuable after-school activities for every child that necessitates them.

Children should be encouraged to explore their interests as soon as their school activity is over. Thankfully, after-school activities provide educational enrichment and actively support the child’s life. The Village Method is a provider of culturally affirming after-school programming. We are here to emphasize the importance of high-quality education, inside and outside the walls of schools.

As we all know, the pandemic impacted families and communities alike. Furthermore, it created an unprecedented demand for either in-person or remote after-school activities. As families and teachers were pushed to come together and overcome the global challenge, family engagement also took a step forward.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how after-school activities can boost your child’s chances for academic excellence. Read on! 

The Search for High-Quality After-School Programs

What makes one after-school program better than all others? The multitude of after-school programs that are currently available out there could easily confuse students and their parents. If you are looking for after-school activities, here are a few aspects you should consider.

Firstly, students and their parents must be encouraged to take part in family engagement activities. They must be motivated enough to spend after-school hours alongside a community of people they can relate to. Lastly, the after-school activities themselves must prioritize child development, critical thinking, and address educational inequity right from the start.

Remember, a truly great after-school activity will actively seek to accommodate the students according to their unique, cultural backgrounds. That is how a kid will understand how vital it is to belong to a community. This is how academic excellence is achieved ━ by connecting our youth to their roots and letting them know that they are indeed valued.

Create Opportunity for College and Career Readiness

An excellent after-school program will aim to gradually build on pre-existing skills, from early childhood education all the way to middle school, then finally, to high school. Educational inequity starts the moment our children fail to be seen, heard, and understood.

First-generation college students have it the hardest. The expectations are high and the resources are, for the most part, on the low side. After-school activities create necessary cultural pipelines. With the help of caring adults, awesome family engagement activities, and Social and Emotional Learning skills, our kids will naturally aspire for academic excellence and bask in its benefits. 

During the course of the K-12 years, after-school programs play a crucial part in the cognitive, emotional, and psychological development of our children. Their chances to get into their desired colleges increase whenever after-school opportunities are present. What kids need is the support of culturally responsive and affirming after-school activities.

School-Parent Relationships and Family Engagement Activities

According to Learning Heroes’ national survey, the pandemic brought family engagement activities to the very forefront of their children’s education. Before, the parent was quite literally kept in the dark regarding their child’s achievement. In fact, since 2020, parents want to spend time helping with homework and are keen to provide enrichment to their children’s learning capabilities.

Most kids need better family engagement activities in order to improve their learning skills and overall achievement levels. The road towards academic excellence relies on the schools’ willingness to implement and nurture culturally respectful family engagement activities.

We highly recommend that you check out the book titled ‘A Cord of Three Strands: A New Approach to Parent Engagement in Schools’ by Soo Hong. Its focus on low-income children and their need for parental engagement will prove useful in the process of dismantling educational inequity.

Academic Excellence and Social and Emotional Learning

While attending after-school activities, kids need to make new friends, have fun, and explore some of the most popular topics. In order for them to have a smooth journey to college, parents need to seek after-school programs that address their Social and Emotional Learning capabilities.

Academic excellence starts to take shape when we prioritize emotional and social skills. Kids need to develop healthy attitudes about themselves and the world they’re living in. They must explore their empathetic side and learn how to co-exist with other children. 

When searching for after-school activities for your child, make sure that Social and Emotional Learning is recognized as a valuable tool for children of all ages. It is elementary to aim for academic excellence in a creative manner that nurtures the well-being of the child.

Research has shown time and time again that Social and Emotional Learning improves academic achievement and has long-term effects that are tangible on a global scale. Social and Emotional Learning is a fundamental part of after-school programs that aim to help their attendants succeed in life.

Can After-School Activities Ensure Academic Excellence?

Yes, they can. After-school programs must ensure that they always provide their attendants with valuable family engagement activities. Social and Emotional Learning must also be the pinnacle of after-school education. 

More so, the young ones should engage in meaningful, culturally relevant after-school activities that will, in time, bring out the sense of personal empowerment and pride. All children that belong to minorities deserve to be acknowledged. After-school activities are here to bring a resolution to our nation’s long-standing educational inequity.

The Village Method is more than just another after-school program. Together, we have the power to build villages of happy, empowered children. Join our fight for equity by getting involved now!