United Schools Network’s Post

At Dancewave, we believe that young people should have equitable access to opportunities for lifelong success and thriving. Dancewave Through College and Beyond responds to the barriers young people face during the college application and audition process, and provides an empowering, full-service college preparatory program connecting students with top collegiate dance programs.  Over the past 14 years, we have built a program that is unrivaled in size and scope. In fact, demand for this program, especially among families from low-income communities where college preparation is cost-prohibitive, is increasing at an unsustainable rate. This is why Dancewave is actively working to increase equitable program access so that the most marginalized students gain access to future-affirming opportunities in higher education and beyond. Creating more accessible opportunities for young people requires resources, and we cannot do this alone. We call on you to join us in creating more equitable systems: Contribute to our Go Beyond Fund and ensure that all students can access higher education and careers in dance, regardless of their race, gender, socioeconomic status or ability and extend your impact by forwarding this message to your community - every bit helps!  https://lnkd.in/ef9Km--7

I hope today's newsletter can be the start of an ongoing conversation about how athletic departments can better reach out to new fans, especially Latinos. Producing broadcasts in Spanish (or Portuguese) can be expensive and very complicated, but that doesn't have to be the only way schools can try to build bridges with their communities. The best way to do it will look different from market to market...and I hope this newsletter helps explain that a bit.

Head Start challenge: the next time you are in an uber, doctor’s office, elevator, or any waiting situation with another adult, ask them if they have heard of Head Start! This handy graphic gives the elevator speech that can change someone’s life!! It did for me😍❤️📊 #livedexperience #headstart

"Educated kids make educated decisions." That’s why we partner with schools and our community of caring neighbors like you to help kids to succeed in school and in life.    Watch as Rene Gellerman, our President & CEO, shares with Johnny Marx the thinking behind our United for Schools initiative – to unite community resources and volunteers to help kids early on, to help them unlock brighter futures for themselves.   And, the results speak for themselves. Dive deeper here: https://lnkd.in/gXpwEqV3

Before we finish our “Addy Learns a Lesson” display, we want to share a “Looking Back” with you all. ___ Looking Back: Education of African Americans During the Civil War By: Leah Jenkins, Assistant Researcher The education, or lack thereof, of African Americans during the Civil War was a concentrated effort integral to the preservation of slavery. Formal education was essentially non-existent for African Americans as on-the-job training was favored. Limiting African American educational access was more than safeguarding economic prosperity. Many Southerners (and Northerners) believed allowing African Americans access to formal education would invite discontent and rebellion, toppling America’s enslaved-based society and economy. Safeguarding slavery ingrained itself into law when several southern states passed anti-literacy laws. The laws forbade free and enslaved African Americans from reading, writing, and assembling. Despite harsh anti-literacy laws, small numbers of African Americans were educated in secret by their educated peers or masters. The end of the Civil War marked unprecedented educational access for African Americans. Established in 1865, the Freedman’s Bureau supervised and coordinated a regulated educational system for African Americans. By 1866, nearly 8,000 formerly enslaved African Americans were attending schools in Georgia. Aside from northern aid, freedmen often supported the schools through tuition fees and donated materials. Kids and adults alike attended school, with adults comprising nearly one-third of students. The Freedmen’s Bureau schools are the foundation for contemporary universal schooling in the United States. Learn more today: https://lnkd.in/grrJ585q

Exciting updates on the Obama Presidential Center!

The attack on public schools is an attack on equity in our education system. Traditional public school districts in Ohio serve more than 1.8 million students and employ more than 245,000 Ohioans. An investment in our public schools is an investment in our nation’s 50 million public school students. #fundpublicschools #nationalpublicschoolsweek

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐎𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞" — This headline says it all. 💪🏾 A HUGE 'thank you' to My Indiana Home for the well-worded writeup on our mission and impact for Indiana's Black community! See the piece for yourself: 👉🏾 https://lnkd.in/edmSE2tQ #Indianapolis #Indy #IndianaBlackBusiness

🏀"Influenced by my troubled past, I took it upon myself to become that leader and started running the program myself. Just getting that chance to actually do it, it was big for me. I would say I'm the perfect example. What I would say is, even if you could just help one kid, that's why these programs are so important."- Steffon Heyliger, Age 30 Steffon's journey from a program participant to a mentor is a testament to the life-changing impact of community support. Learn more: https://ow.ly/zEi650Q1FxY

In my work as a Community School Coordinator, I've learned that partnership development MUST align with strategic goals. For me, here are a few questions I ask myself: -How will a new partnership impact our Mission? -In what ways do their values align with our vision? -What do they value and how might our partnership align with their goals and mission? -How does the new partnership celebrate diversity and how will it engage with our diverse community? -What tools or measures will we use to determine their impact upon achieving our goals? Partnerships need to understand how they fit within our learning environments. More to come as I continue writing the finishing touches on the book! Oh....if your school needs help with partnership development, schedule a consultation call! My super power is partnership development!