TVM Parent Corner

Take the Pressure Off High School Counselors With These 3 Steps!

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The American School Counselor Association states that the activity of school counseling is over a hundred years old. Throughout the decades, the role played by school counselors has been under constant debate, as well as subject to change. Now, ScholarPrepNation is on a mission to take some of the pressure off high school counselors.

 

What was once known as vocational guidance has now become an essential step in college preparation for our kids. High school counseling is meant to target so much more than just the developmental and academic needs of the students. In fact, the school counseling profession is about guiding our young adults in the direction of their aspirations.

 

In today’s article, we’ll reveal the three steps that school leaders can follow in order to relieve some of the pressure that is currently being experienced by high school counselors. Continue to read and discover the latest advice!

 

#1: Encourage High School Counselors to Advocate for Inclusivity in Education

Let’s picture this ━ the senior year begins and most students, particularly Black youth, begin to feel anxious about the scholarship and college application processes. Even worse, most first-generation students start to feel less and less prepared for this new academic chapter. What exactly is the root cause of the confusion surrounding higher education? In the long run, inclusivity in education is just as important as academic support.

 

Black youth deserves to feel like they are a part of the community, that they are heard, valued, and seen. Also, their families need to feel that their contributions and expertise are needed and put into practice. High school counselors must make a conscious effort to push for inclusivity in education without perpetuating harmful stereotypes or coercive methods that might discriminate. 

 

Regardless of their families’ socioeconomic backgrounds, every single child is capable of greatness. For that, anti-racist practices must be put to good use. Things such as initiating conversations about race, exploring family engagement, or discovering Critical Race Theory would end up empowering students. 

 

Consequently, the children won’t only speak up, but they’ll also experience a growing sense of curiosity as to what their academic and career plans should look like. A culturally affirming approach will never fail, it will eventually become the ultimate stepping stone toward college success.

 

#2: Demystify the College and Scholarship Application Processes

As mentioned above, there is a sense of confusion and anxiety as far as the college application process is concerned. For this reason alone, it’s extremely important to understand how high school counselors can help 9th graders plan ahead for academic and career development.

 

By the time they’ll reach senior year, individual counseling will inform students about financial aid, career exploration, and last but not least, the scholarship and college application processes. The country’s top-tier institutions are currently failing to advocate for inclusion and representation 

 

Both the children and their families could potentially end up feeling overwhelmed. For this reason, students who fall off track in regards to their academic and social skills might be left behind. This unfair dynamic can be easily avoided if we just start looking for solutions early on.

 

#3: Introducing ScholarPrep Nation: Making College Success Achievable

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As we’ve previously seen, most high schools need to make solid contributions to the school counselors’ work. The good news is that school leaders have plenty of effective options to choose from that will certainly benefit Black youth.

ScholarPrep Nation could be the perfect choice for your institution. We connect your students with academic advisors, college recruiters, and mentors who are happy and ready to help the kids prepare for college. Our mission? To demystify the academic journey!

 

We do this by offering everyone access to an online and nationwide network. Consequently, the children will have a rare opportunity of thriving both academically and socially. Isolation is a certain way of perpetuating loneliness and confusion. This has to stop.

 

We need to bridge the gaps between high school graduations, college admissions, and scholarship admissions. With ScholarPrep Nation, this is now entirely achievable. 

 

Pave the Way to College Success With ScholarPrep Nation!

ScholarPrep Nation is the expert solution you’ve been looking for. A culturally inclusive and affirming college access program, we’re entirely dedicated to demystifying the academic journey. We help you take the pressure off your high school counselors and ensure that the students know exactly how to prepare for college.

 

Contact us now and tell us more about your school’s goals and needs! We would be honored to help your students achieve academic excellence!

The Vital Role of Parental Engagement in School

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Without parental engagement in schools, the educational process is certainly incomplete. That is why so many after-school programs, including The Village Method, have perfected their family engagement methods. In consequence, research has shown that student success increases considerably, all thanks to the presence of parental engagement in schools.

 

From staying in school to earning higher grades, the child’s education and academic achievement have both been impacted positively. Considering the fact that systemic racism in education is extremely prevalent, it is encouraging to take a look at the benefits of parental engagement in schools.

 

In this article, we’ll explore some of the reasons why family engagement activities are a necessary component of student success. If we can engage parents the right way, the possibilities of closing the achievement gap are endless. 

 

Parental Engagement in Schools Facilitates Two-Way Communication

Parent involvement should be widespread in all school matters, regardless of the families’ socioeconomic status. In fact, educators and various other school partners must fully involve parents in things such as the learning process, as well as the common challenges that their children might encounter. This sense of shared responsibility can be a clear response to systemic racism in education.

 

Parent engagement activities are a rare opportunity to build relationships and encourage family and community involvement. Here is a brief list of things that educators should keep in mind to increase parent engagement:

 

  • Focus on the families’ culture, expertise, and strengths
  • Make sure that the school climate is positive
  • Ensure that racial injustice in the classroom is addressed in a respectful and mindful way
  • Learn from  families and trust that they know better when it comes to their children and their African ancestry
  • Acknowledge  systemic racism in education and use it as a catalyst for better academic achievement

 

Open communication leads to better parent engagement. School leaders who are promoting parent engagement need to pay close attention to the efficiency of the communication between educators and families. Student achievement is at stake here. 

 

Parental Engagement in Schools Encourages Learning at Home

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Family engagement activities rely on total parental involvement. The road to academic excellence doesn’t have to be similar to diving into the great unknown. In fact, the pandemic has shifted things by encouraging family-school partnerships to come to fruition. 

 

A never-before-seen phenomenon, family engagement activities soon became the norm. Unlike before, parents got involved in the educational process and got first-hand experience of how their children interacted with both their educators and their peers.

 

Furthermore, they were able to regularly help them with various projects and even with homework. This kind of authentic parent engagement was proof that families could help with learning at home. All they needed was the confidence to get involved and the ongoing communication with the educators. 

 

Systemic racism in education was as impactful as ever before the pandemic. In fact, nondominant families are treated at best as spectators of the work of schools. We believe that the gap between home and school has been bridged by the pandemic. It is our duty to make sure that this beneficial connection will stand the test of time. 

 

Parental Engagement in Schools and Empowerment

Engaging parents can be empowering. The Critical Race Theory is either banned or limited in several states. Teachers are still showing signs of apprehension when it comes to discussing race openly and honestly.

Even during Black History Month, things continue to be difficult. The history of our people is deliberately being silenced and replaced with a version of events that fails to empower our children. For this reason, after-school programs are taking matters into their own hands while intensively promoting family engagement activities. 

Both families and children can learn about the African way of living, explore the untold stories of their ancestors, and become empowered thanks to their newfound knowledge. Culturally responsive after-school programs provide alternatives that sustain parent involvement and raise questions that need urgent answering.

 

Our Children Need Parental Engagement in Schools 

However, we need to have a say regarding what our children are being taught. The curriculum needs to be revised and Critical Race Theory should definitely be widespread. The fact that our people’s voices are continuously stifled is a clear red flag. 

 

The vital role played by family engagement activities is recognized by after-school programs. It is time for school districts to focus on parent involvement. Student behavior will improve, academic achievement will flourish, and our children will become empowered and aware of their African ancestry, once and for all. 

 

The Village Method is dedicated to bringing parental engagement closer to young scholars and their families. We believe that parents are experts when it comes to their children’s needs. It takes a village to raise a child, according to the ancient African proverb. This is our definitive motto.

 

It is our mission to build villages of academically successful children. For that, we’ll need your help. Get involved now and lend a hand to our children. The adults of tomorrow need your support!

Why Anti-Racist Education Should Be a National Priority

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Political activist Angela Davis once said, “In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist”. We all want a better future for our children. However, the systemic racism in education is undeniable and continues to reinforce the legacy of White supremacy. To counteract this, we’ll need anti-racist education and The Village Method has the necessary resources.

 

As a nation, we must acknowledge the influence of White privilege and talk about oppression openly. With time, the students and anti-racist educators will turn the classroom into a support system that is engaging and understanding. A shared understanding is what’s missing in today’s schools and what culturally empowering after-school programs are trying to create. 

 

Let us take a look at why anti-racist education is becoming a priority for many educators and how we can teach students to address racism swiftly and committedly. 

 

Anti-Racist Education Is a Choice

Those who identify as anti-racist educators made a very clear choice to use critical consciousness as a way to empower students and be by their side as they face racial inequities. Anti-racist work is a conscious, daily practice. Internalized racism without self-reflection is what has cemented systemic racism in education.

 

Anti-racist educators are willing to go past the curriculum and use their voices for the benefit of many. White students should also be encouraged to share their habitual prejudice and be taught why they should choose anti-racism. By being aware of one’s biases and toxic patterns, we might have a chance to eliminate White privilege from our schools.

 

Other educators fail to recognize the importance of anti-racist education and have no interest in bringing equity to the classroom. The idea of teaching Critical Race Theory in schools seems far-fetched to most of them. 

 

For such teachers, anti-racist ideas that bring justice to those that are oppressed are synonymous with forbidden knowledge. For others, it’s an irrelevant conversation.

 

It’s wrong to assume that the implementation of Critical Race Theory in schools could potentially disrupt the curriculum. This type of mentality has to stop being perpetuated. It is the direct cause of systemic racism in education and the reason we are fighting for a more equitable environment for our young scholars in the first place.

 

Anti-Racist Education Is Empowering

Any anti-racist educator knows that empowering young scholars is the way to go. Social Emotional Learning is a framework that is deeply concerned with racial inequity in the classroom. Did you know that Black boys are disciplined at school much more than their White peers?

 

Mental health is not a subject that should be treated lightly. Instead, Social Emotional Learning takes the emotional well-being of our young ones very seriously by providing them with tools and soft skills to match. 

 

The suicide rates of Black youth are alarming and distressing, to say the very least. These children were not empowered. They were kept in the dark. Their voices were ignored. Only a heartless and unapologetically racist society could remain indifferent to such heartbreaking statistics. It’s time to empower our youth and guide them to see the truth.

 

Anti-Racist Education Requires Critical Race Theory In Schools

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“Black people are the magical faces at the bottom of society’s well.” Derrick Bell couldn’t have said it better. The leaders of our countries are working tirelessly to sabotage our people’s efforts. Several states are banning Critical Race Theory and therefore keeping our children from studying this essential, historical framework.  

 

Initially promoted by committed civil-rights scholars and lawyers, it became a framework that promoted tolerance and called out oppression during a time when most were afraid of speaking out. It’s time for our nation’s leaders to make way for Critical Race Theory in schools.

 

Systemic racism is prevalent and is not going anywhere. Anti-racist educators are already being silenced and threatened to not tell the truth. For this reason, families are turning their attention to culturally affirming after-school programs that can provide their children with the appropriate knowledge. The anti-racist work of those teachers is still commendable and speaks of the urgent need for a cultural shift. 

 

Our young scholars deserve much more than what they are currently being offered. A sugar-coated curriculum is not going to help anyone in the long run. Anti-racist education is a national priority that cannot be procrastinated any longer.

 

Anti-Racism Is a Moral Duty. Are We Ready for a Shift?

Together, we can change the course of history and reclaim the power that was once stolen from us. Teachers should make it their mission to use anti-racism resources such as Social Emotional Learning or Critical Race Theory in order to enrich our children’s knowledge of what it means to be free from bias and against violence of any kind.

 

The Village Method is a unique kind of after-school program. We are a village of dedicated people. Our aim is to enable the kids and parents to connect to their African culture and do so in an environment that is free of racism, White privilege, biases, discrimination, and fear. However, we need your help.

 

It takes a village to raise a child, according to the African proverb. Let us join hands and create several villages of happy, healthy, and academically successful children. Get involved today!

The School-Home Relationship: 4 Ways to Improve It

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Non Dominant families have rarely had the opportunity to build strong school-home relationships. This has everything to do with systemic racism and the lack of trust when it comes to the unique expertise of each parent regarding their children. Thankfully, family engagement is here to change that.

The COVID-19 pandemic, as challenging as it was, has managed to achieve the impossible. Parents have had the rare chance to join their children on their academic journeys and watch their interactions with both their educators and peers. 

The pandemic has been an unexpected equalizer, as it has managed to dismantle centuries of racial, linguistic, and class-based judgments that stem from educational inequity. Nondominant families are slowly being acknowledged as valuable partners of the schools. 

However, how are we going to maintain this temporary interest in parental engagement alive and well for decades to come? In this article, we’ll explore the 4 ways in which schools can aim to improve their current school-home dynamics. Read on to find out more!

 

Acknowledging the Importance of Family Engagement Activities

According to the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement, family engagement is a responsibility that is shared by schools and various organizations. Their collective effort is to reach out and engage the children’s families in such a way that both the children’s learning and development end up being positively impacted. 

The purpose of family engagement activities is to bring a far more liberatory, culturally affirming perspective on the school-home relationship. Educational inequity is largely reinforced by the lack of meaningful parental engagement. 

Educators and families must become partners. Their relationship should be based on equality and recognition. They should consistently collaborate via a codesign model of partnership. The families’ wisdom, experience, and cultural knowledge should be valued rather than ignored.

Unfortunately, systemic racism has affected the way in which parents of color are being perceived. Discrimination, either conscious or subconscious, impacts countless families throughout our nation. 

By participating in meaningful, culturally respectful family engagement activities, we could maintain the positive change brought forth by the pandemic. The gap between the home and school can only be bridged by acknowledging just how effective parental engagement can be.

 

Seeking After-School Programs That Reinforce the Importance of Family Engagement 

Mother and son spending time together Free Photo
Image credit: Freepik

Most after-school activities make it their mission to help our young ones keep up with their homework and stay safe after the schooling hours are over. This is most definitely not enough to nurture all the different facets and needs of a child. 

That is why we highly encourage you to look into culturally affirming and respectful after-school programs. Here are the main attributes that all great after-school programs have in common:

  • They offer family engagement activities – This is one of the best after-school activities that a child could pursue throughout their K-12 years. Connected children, adults, and institutions have the power to undo educational inequity.
  • They support the life of the whole-child – Our youth necessitates youth and family services and programming in order to step out confidently into the world. Their entire academic journey depends on this, as well as their chances of getting into their desired colleges.
  • They celebrate African culture – It should come as no surprise that African culture is extraordinarily rich and vibrant. The history of our people is worth sharing with the younger generations. The current curriculum fails our children more than anything. It is time to invest in after-school programs that bring awareness to Afrocentric ways of living.

 

Celebrating Afrocentric After-School Activities

Systemic racism relies on the ignorance of our people. Our lack of knowledge regarding our people’s history and heritage perpetuates long-standing inequities. Our children deserve to know about the power and impact of their African ancestry.

Afrocentric after-school activities may not be easy to find. However, once you do pinpoint such initiatives, make sure to at least give them a try. 

In order to witness the dismantling of educational inequity and systemic racism during our lifetimes, we must provide our children with Afrocentric education.

Racism and marginalization are concepts that no child should ever have to experience. Instead, they should surpass the curriculum that is being handed to them and assert the power of their African culture.

 

Exercising Academic Excellence

Our children are fully capable of greatness. They simply need some assistance during their early years in order to reach their goals. Academic excellence can be exercised both at school and with the help of after-school activities.

By developing academic and cultural pipelines, our youth has greater chances of effortlessly advancing from their K-12 years to college, from college to career, and from career right back to the communities that nurtured them into successful adults.

It all starts with acknowledging the limitations of the curriculum and of the schooling system. After-school activities not only improve the school-home relationship, but also preserve its core attributes for years to come.

 

The Conclusion Is…

In order to improve and preserve the hard-earned connection between families and educators, you can follow our four tips. As you’ve seen, respectful family engagement activities and culturally affirming after-school programs are crucial. 

Also, embracing an Afrocentric approach when it comes to education while exercising academic excellence will come in handy when your mission is to build a powerful bridge between the school and home.

The Village Method is more than a regular after-school program. Above all, we value youth development, family engagement, and community outreach programming. Our mission is to bring our youth closer to their dreams while familiarizing them with their strong African roots, culture, and traditions.

Get involved today and help us build a village of joyful children, parents, and educators! 

How Do After-School Activities Improve Student Achievement?

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As parents, we often ponder our children’s mental and emotional wellbeing. We’d like them to always be happy, healthy, and motivated to excel academically. We weigh all the options and reach the final conclusion – after-school activities are a must-have, especially these days.

According to the Afterschool Alliance, 1 in 5 young people are alone when the school day comes to an end. This comes as no surprise, as most working parents have little to no time to come home and attend to their children’s after-school needs. 

The Village Method has always pointed out the importance of safe and culturally affirming after-school programs. Without the implementation of relevant after-school activities, a young person may easily become disoriented and uncertain about their academic future. Besides, in worst-case scenarios, they could also get into trouble from having too much time on their hands. Time well spent enables the children of today to become the successful adults of tomorrow.

In this article, we’ll look at some of the ways in which after-school activities improve student achievement. We invite you to keep on reading and find out more!

 

Accessing After-School Activities Impacts Student Achievement

As caring parents and educators, we want to ensure that today’s youth is educated enough to break several cycles of poverty, inequity, and systemic racism within our society. 

The Journal of Negro Education revealed that African-American children who are perceived as low-achievers end up being disproportionately enrolled in after-school programs. This should come as no surprise to most of us. 

Such an ongoing issue can only be tackled by enrolling the students in better, more culturally affirming after-school programs. That way, we could help them reach excellence alongside peers and educators who are aware of this undeniable race gap.

There is no point in denying a truth that has been ever-present for centuries. It’s time to pick up the pieces and offer our children their shot at a successful life, far away from poverty and discrimination.

The Harlem Children’s Zone has made it their main mission to put an end to intergenerational poverty by providing children and their families with some of the best after-school activities designed for young people of color.

Poverty can become a distant memory once we realize that our children are capable of academic excellence. After-school activities and family engagement are here to facilitate this.

 

Increasing Student Achievement Starts With Family Engagement Activities

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The race gap is not the only factor that slows down our journey towards equity. In fact, it’s been proven that the gap between home and school is just as detrimental to the academic achievements of our young ones.

As the Carnegie Corporation of New York revealed, the COVID-19 pandemic has managed to achieve the impossible. More specifically, it has finally bridged the gap between parents and educators, thanks to family engagement activities.

Most families of color have constantly struggled with being seen and heard by the schooling system. To go even deeper, not even the curriculum acknowledges our people’s relentless fight for freedom and student achievement.

Instead, we are faced with a willful omission of our real history. Our rich cultural heritage has been swept under the rug for centuries. 

There is only one way to counteract this injustice, and that is to enroll our children in qualitative after-school programs that aim to highlight the importance of family engagement activities.

When the family is involved in the academic journey of the young one, the chances of an increase in student achievement grow exponentially. It’s also important to keep in mind that truly great after-school programs will pay close attention to the concept of Social and Emotional Learning.

This educational framework supports our children’s so-called soft skills. They will develop healthier attitudes towards education and life. Such an advancement in social and emotional abilities is made possible through valuable and authentic parental engagement. 

Excellence can only be reached once we realize the importance of effective parental engagement. Social and Emotional Learning aims to target the very core of inequity and poverty. All forward-thinking after-school programs should prioritize this incredibly important framework. 

By choosing to enroll our children in after-school programs that encourage family engagement activities and Social and Emotional Learning, we will have the opportunity to watch our children’s intellects soar to heights that we didn’t think were possible 

This is how we ensure the increase in student achievement – by encouraging our children to always aim higher. After-school activities that are tailored to their exact needs will certainly do the job.

 

The Conclusion Is…

Our people have always aimed for academic excellence, regardless of the social climate and constant inequity, they’ve had to face. We’re living during unprecedented times, watching society change by the minute. 

There is only one thing we can do in order to truly benefit from the incoming changes, and that is to invest in the academic accomplishments of our children. As we’ve seen, we can turn this vision into reality by seeking culturally affirming and safe after-school programs. 

It’s essential that they elevate the real history of our people, highlight the importance of family engagement activities, and also use the Social and Emotional Learning framework throughout the way.

The Village Method has always emphasized the importance of creating communities with like-minded individuals who are eager to give our incredibly rich cultural heritage its rightful credit. We invite you to explore our cause by visiting our website, volunteering, or simply donating. We believe that your ongoing support will benefit many children, and we invite you to stay tuned for our next blog post

Changing the World, One Child at a Time

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The educational system has changed dramatically over the past couple of years. There was not one child in the world left unaffected by the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Chaos and confusion loomed over our families for the longest time. That was until we gathered our remaining strength and decided to do something with the time at home that was imposed on us.

During the lockdown, we had the rare opportunity to watch our children attend their virtual classes, do their homework, interact with their peers and educators, and deal with the challenges of remote learning.

The importance of family engagement activities was unexpectedly highlighted, offering both parents and educators the chance to come together and motivate the students during these uncertain times. 

We, at The Village Method, have always been ardent supporters of after-school activities with a culturally empowering twist. We were also deeply aware of the importance of family engagement activities long before the pandemic struck. 

To watch the world adopt these practices has been wonderful so far. In this article, we’re looking at how we could change the world, one child at a time. Read on!

 

Reimagining After-School & Family Engagement Activities

Because we love elevating others’ causes, we’d like to introduce you to Harlem Children’s Zone. This iconic organization has managed to bring academic excellence to the children of Central Harlem. 

Their restless fight against intergenerational poverty has even reached President Barack Obama’s ears. This incredible, Black-owned initiative has managed to change young people’s lives for the better. 

The youth’s road to college was safely paved by Harlem Children’s Zone. They remain a long-standing inspiration for all education-oriented organizations, including our own.

Once again, we can all agree that effective and culturally responsive after-school activities have the potential to pull several communities out of the quicksand of poverty, systemic racism, inequity, and discrimination.

We also believe that our youth should attend extracurricular activities that enhance their Social Emotional Learning skills. 

Also, it is imperious that our children are encouraged to explore the rich African heritage that is so massively overlooked by the school curriculum.

Only by getting to know your culture and history can you have an impact on the world’s current trajectory. We believe that this is the ideal foundation on which schools should build upon.

 

Drawing Inspiration from the Critical Race Theory (CRT)

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The Critical Race Theory is still an underrated source of inspiration for all educators who are determined to break the systemic racism that runs rampant in our schools. 

The Critical Race Theory is here to remind us that our people are still being treated as second-class citizens, regardless of the apparent advancements that our nation has managed to achieve. 

Systemic racism has deeply permeated our society. This is a fact that we must come to terms with.

When it comes to education, the Critical Race Theory also recognizes that the current curriculum disregards the history of our people and instead pushes a white narrative upon our children. 

We are also perceived through a deficit-tinted lens, which makes it almost impossible to elevate our youth via powerful family engagement in schools. 

It might seem like the gaps are perhaps too wide to bridge and they surely are. However, if we make it our mission to educate parents, educators, and children on what the Critical Race Theory is, we might have a solid chance to diminish the impact of racially segregated education.

 

Lending Working Families a Helping Hand

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the inability of most working families to tend to their children’s educational needs. All educators should be determined to provide families with safe and culturally affirming spaces that aim to elevate respectful family engagement activities.

Parental engagement is difficult when most educators perceive parents of color as uneducated, distracted, and unwilling to offer their children a chance at a better future. 

The tacit discrimination of parents can have disastrous effects on the academic journey of a child. Our youth deserves to witness harmonious relationships between their parents and educators. They deserve to partake in wonderful, memorable parental engagement activities.

The pandemic has taught both working families and educators how to leave aside all differences and come together. The young ones are inclined to perform better academically when their parents are involved every step of the way.

Isn’t it what we all dream of? To watch our children graduate college and lead happy and healthy lives? This is easier said than done and depends entirely on what we choose to do with the time and resources that are given to us right now.

 

The Conclusion Is…

In order to change the world and infuse it with equity and compassion, we need to inspect the tools and strategies which we currently possess. 

Once we decide that our children deserve better, we will do whatever it takes to watch them grow into dependable, powerful, self-aware, and proud African-American citizens. 

We, as their parents and educators, must provide them early on with the best programs available. That way, we will secure their shot at a successful life. 

There is no other way to do this but to encourage them to become attuned to the wisdom of our African ancestors. It takes a village to raise a child, said an old African proverb. This is what we, at The Village Method, have always strived for.

However, our mission is made impossible without your help. We need you in order to change the world. Help a child by either donating, volunteering or simply spreading the word about our non-profit organization. 

We are deeply thankful for your support and look forward to nurturing future generations of intelligent and culturally aware adults.