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Words of Wisdom

Ella Fitzgerald

Singer Ella Fitzgerald said, “It isn't where you came from, it’s where you're going that counts."

We all know that to make a difference, it’s not about what you say; it’s about what you do. But sometimes, our words truly can have the power to motivate others to go out and change the world.

The people we honor during Black History Month are men and women of action. But their words, in addition to their deeds, continue to inspire people to create, to change, to persevere. We collected some amazing quotes from famous men and women in black history. Which one inspires you the most? Read each then vote in our poll! Is there a different quote you love, but we didn’t include? Share it in the comments section. View full article »

Making History with Mentors

Today’s blog post comes from Communities In Schools’ Grassroots Coordinator Dorian Wanzer.

Dr. Ben Carson

Dr. Ben Carson

For me, Black History Month is a time to recognize the black experience as an integral part of American history. More importantly, it’s for circulating success stories of determined and courageous African American leaders and visionaries who I admire year-round. Communities In Schools stresses the importance of students’ one-on-one relationship with caring adults as a basic for academic and life success.

After reviewing biographies of black history icons like Dr. Ben Carson, Dorothy Height, and Ossie Davis, a question came to mind: did these individuals have mentors? The answer is yes. Their accomplishments are the result of perseverance, opportunity and, of course, guidance from a caring adult. View full article »

Black History Month: Books (and more) We Love

Dreams from My Father coverWhether it’s by reading books, listening to speakers or watching movies, one of the more important things we can all do during the month of February is keep learning. We must continue to learn about and remember the leaders in politics, science, the arts and civil rights who have helped shape our current society. And we must learn about our current leaders, who are shaping our future at this very moment.

Here at the Communities In Schools national office, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite books, movies and other media that we enjoy during Black History Month. Do you have any to add to our list? How do you Honor Black History Month? Please share in the comments section below! View full article »

Planning Ahead

Reach Incorporated logoAlthough Communities In Schools has been supporting students for more than 30 years, we are certainly not set in our ways. As the needs of our students and their families has changed, so has our work evolved to better serve those needs.

Reach Incorporated cultivates literacy skills, across ages, by hiring and training struggling adolescent readers to tutor in Washington, D.C. elementary schools. Founded in 2009, Reach Incorporated is a very new nonprofit. But they face the same challenge as Communities In Schools and countless other youth-serving organizations: How do you prepare to serve young people now and in the future? How do you build capacity to reach more students in need?

Reach Incorporated’s executive director, Mark Hecker, wrote a wonderful blog post about this very subject. He kindly allowed us to repost it below. To read more of Mark’s posts, visit Reach Incorporated’s blog.

View full article »

Great Expectations

Kahlil

Kahlil, 13, said, “If I don’t get a good education, my future would be like working at McDonald’s or working on the streets.”-Photo courtesy Education Week

When we think about the barriers that prevent a student from achieving academic success, we can point to easily apparent signs of trouble. We notice when a child is wearing the same clothes every day or falling asleep in class too often. External cues like these tip people off to students in distress.

But there’s another, less visible obstacle that can hold a student back: low expectations. When a student is in an environment that either overtly or subtly sends a message that the bar is set too high, what point is there to homework? Why bother going to class? Why expect anything better than the current reality?

In recent years, research has proven time and again that one of the main reasons young black males have difficulty succeeding in the classroom is due to being raised in a culture of low expectations. In November 2010, the Council of the Great City Schools released a study about black male achievement on a national level. They found that because of disadvantages faced outside the classroom and low expectations by society, black males are less likely to participate in academic clubs, more likely to be suspended from school and more likely than their white peers to be held back a grade. View full article »