A Note from our Executive Director |
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Dear Friends,
I hope everyone is having a wonderful month! Although February is the shortest month in the year, it is filled with many important days, observances, and celebrations! At Project GRAD Akron, we continue to be jam-packed with activities and services for students and families in the Akron Public Schools. Our staff members have been diligently teaching and providing services to middle and high school students in our College and Career Central (3C) classes at Buchtel and East; mentors continue to work with our students; we are providing services to our elementary students and families, including the Bridge to Kindergarten activities; and of course, we continue our outreach to our college students through our GRADS Persist activities and scholarship services, just to name a few! With all of these various contacts with students and families, PGA team members have established important relationships. We get to know the students and families and they get to know us!
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Just like in any relationship, when you are paying attention, you notice when things are different. That is the case with us at Project GRAD Akron! The relationships we have established with the students and families includes talking and hearing what their concerns are and jointly trying to figure out solutions. Sometimes it takes additional resources; sometimes it takes making a referral; sometimes it takes be a listening ear; sometimes it takes leveraging connections; and all of the time, it takes a lot of prayer! Whatever your role in the relationships we are building, we thank you!
Thankful - Our Students
In our last e-newsletter edition, I took a brief walk down memory lane and shared a little about my college experience and the differences and similarities between our students today. Life constantly reminds me that so much has changed since my childhood and that going to school is not as simple as it was when I was growing up.
Sadly, some of our students are experiencing so many challenges that make going to school much more difficult than many can ever imagine. Close your eyes and imagine being away from home on a college campus and you have to go into lockdown (or shelter in place) because of the bomb threats at your Historically Black College or University (HBCUs), several where are college students are attending; or being in a school where the neighborhood violence or threats to the school requires the lockdown of your elementary, middle, or high school. Imagine being in an environment where depression, social media attacks, isolation, bullying, or loneliness, makes you contemplate or attempt suicide. Imagine losing your parents and caregivers to the ravages of COVID-19 or some other illness and you have to move to a foster home. Imagine not looking forward to a school snow day or school break because you worry about the lack of food during those days away from school. Imagine being afraid to walk to school because of the increased violence in neighborhoods. Imagine how you would cope and how you would react. Now, I ask you to open your eyes.
Recognizing that all of the students do not have these types of experiences, we understand that all students are in need of social and emotional support. I am thankful that in spite of these challenges and so many others not mentioned here, that we have relationships with our students. We know their dreams and aspirations. We also see their needs. At Project GRAD Akron, our students are the center of our work and we utilize the best interests standard in our approach! Our students take many of the same pathways to achieve their goals. On the other hand, life presents its own set of challenges and the extra support and/or encouragement that we provide also is a boost on their pathways to success. Our staff and team members constantly share about their experiences with the students and they use their expertise to assist them on their pathways. Sometimes the pathway is straight and other times, the pathways may be a winding road. But, at Project GRAD Akron, we truly believe that "Graduation Really Achieves Dreams" and we use our best efforts to assist our students in achieving their dreams!
Thank you for taking the time to read this e-newsletter and for supporting our mission. Please know that we appreciate all of the encouraging calls, emails, and messages that I receive from so many of you.
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Feel free to contact me if you want to become more involved or support our work. I can be reached via email at jsilasbutler@projectgradakron.org or by telephone at 330-761-3056. We encourage you to stay connected by visiting our website or clicking on the links below! Again, thank you and please continue to take care and stay safe!
Sincerely,
Jacqueline "Jackie" A. Silas-Butler, Esq.
Executive Director
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A Moment with PGA Scholar, Cordele Harris! |
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Cordele Harris is a Project GRAD Akron Scholar and graduated in 2017 from Buchtel High School. After high school, Cordele immediately began his education at Stark State College and started his co-op at G. Stephens Inc. in Akron. From Stark State College, he received an Associate's Degree in Construction Management. You may have seen Cordele featured in some of Stark State College's marketing ads and videos. Currently, Cordele still works with G. Stephens Construction Management Firm and is in the process of receiving his Bachelor's degree from The University of Akron. His major is Construction Engineering and Technology.
We asked Cordele how Project GRAD Akron helped him through his high school years and beyond. He began by saying that Project GRAD Akron was more like a family in high school and he knew it was important to have good relationships with staff, because they all cared and looked out for him. He says, "Once I saw how much they were willing to help me and once I began to trust them, we grew together. I know I can still contact Ms. Manzell and the Buchtel PGA Staff."
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A few years ago, as Cordele was pursing his studies, he was involved in a serious car accident and as a result, also experienced some challenges with his classes. "The car accident impacted me greatly positively and negatively. I lost time which is the most important thing ever because we do not get it back. It made me depressed and my grades suffered. I also gained knowledge. I improved mentally and learned more about myself. I am happy I was able to come out and still have a dream and the motivation to continue working to be great."
Cordele offers this advice: "For any student or young adult aspiring to be better or go further, keep going! Keep going after your goals, after your dreams, after your education, and after the life you want!"
In his free time, Cordele likes doing research and spending time on the other dreams that he has. He believes the sky is the limit and you can achieve any goal that you have if you keep working towards it. One of his goals is to work more with PGA so he can establish his own scholarship sometime in the future. "There is always room to give back," he says.
We wish Cordele the very best as he pursues his next college degree and his life's ambitions!
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Q & A with Staff Member: Dr. Naomi White |
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Q: What do I love about working at Project GRAD Akron?
A: What I love about working at Project GRAD Akron is working with professionals who are committed to excellence and are a high-performance team. I love the commitment of excellence consistently paired with compassion to every interaction with the students served and the interns developed. I love that creativity and having a vision is the norm and there is no one superstar. Everyone is expected to be a superstar and each star is unique in how they approach excellence in working with students, interns, and one another. I love working in a culture of learning. I am constantly reminded of an ancient African proverb (Ubuntu): “I am because you are.” This foreign concept reminds me that our humanity does not survive in isolation and I need to have connections, communities, and care for people. During this season of my career, this is concept is not foreign, it is how I want to walk through the world, especially at work.
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Q: Tell us about the DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) Book Club that you are running.
A: I was honored to be asked by our Executive Director, Jackie Silas-Butler, to take the lead on PGA’s first DEI book club examining the book: When Treating All the Kids the SAME is the REAL Problem: Educational Leadership and the 21st Century Dilemma of Difference by Kendra Johnson and Lisa Williams. We just completed our second monthly meeting in February as we explore each of the seven chapters from various lenses: front-line practice, program development, & policy & procedure. These various lenses provide an opportunity to discuss the contents of the book in relation to past and present organization operations. The next level of our discussions introduces real-world scenarios in order to learn and analyze where equity is present, where equity is non-existent, or not working. We believe that this in-depth process will allow all staff to create a vision of the future PGA with the intentional integration of equity as a concept, a practice, and a policy throughout Project GRAD Akron. A by-product of this examination is allowing for dedicated time for extraordinarily busy team members to stop, reflect, get to know each other, and be a part of a transforming organization.
Q: What do you love about working with the interns at PGA?
A: Where do I begin? Everything. I love the process of teaching and learning and creating learning environments that support growth and development. I love the process of helping interns grow by moving them from unconsciously unskilled (the intern is unaware of what they don’t know), to consciously unskilled (the intern realizes they lack the knowledge & skills needed to perform well in their field placement), to unconsciously skilled (the intern is unaware they are demonstrating mastery in their field placement), to consciously skilled (the intern is aware of why they do what they do while they are doing it…competency). Observing this growth and knowing that I am paying it forward by becoming part of a team committed to intern development is the reason I said yes to PGA when offered the position of External Supervisor/Program Support Specialist. Working with our interns allow me a perfect opportunity to combine and activate my 12 years as a faculty member in post-secondary education and creatively integrate my doctorate degree in education (specializing in instructional design and online learning) and graduate degree in social work in secondary education.
Q: What is something that surprises people when you tell them about Project GRAD Akron?
A: One thing that surprises people when I talk about Project GRAD Akron is that PGA is located within public middle/high schools and how PGA collaboratively works within the Akron Public Schools District. People are surprised at the multi-layer approach used by PGA to helping students, their families, and their communities. Academics may be the entry point; however, the importance of finances, social & emotional learning, and intentionality in opportunities are a sample of the multi-layered approach to engaging and walking alongside PGA students.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time?
A: Realizing that my daughter will be leaving for college soon, I relish time spent in her company talking and listening as she is learning to navigate the world as a young adult. When I am routinely informed that talking and listening is not as exciting as her plans, depending on how much emotional energy I used during the day, my free time is dedicated to sitting quietly reading, writing, and when weather permits, hiking. Free time is also an opportunity to play games, and I love competitive game playing with family, friends, and even strangers.
Q: If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
A: If I could have a superpower, I would choose to have wings. Why wings? Wings offer me an opportunity to fly high and then higher gaining a unique, wide-angle perspective. I can quickly move away from situations and quickly move towards another situation. Flying affords me the opportunity to quickly move individuals to safety (hmm-must be my social work hat). Flying allows me to be me. I am able to soar and explore at speeds challenging to me. It is probably why the book Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach is my favorite book.
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It's Time for March GRADness! |
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Project GRAD Akron's 8th Annual March GRADness, a spring fundraiser to benefit our organization’s programs, services, and scholarships, will be held on Monday, April 4, 2022. This "Happy Hour" type event features a great deal of fun, networking opportunities, delicious food stations, raffles, games with prizes, beverages, and an opportunity for you to support a great organization helping young people!
Date: Monday, April 4, 2022
Location: Greystone Hall, Akron, OH
Time: 4:00 - 7:30 PM
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February marks Black History Month, which honors the remarkable legacies of Black leaders and community members who continue to shape and change America.
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Project GRAD Akron offices will be closed on Monday, February 21, 2022
in observance of Presidents Day.
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Click on the social media links to connect with Project GRAD Akron! |
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