Update on The Harlem Children's Zone

The Harlem Children's Zone

I decided to click on a link on the site that discusses the results of the organization. I was impressed! This organization is building a great future of children into society. I have posted a few of the results of some of their program and their results…

Baby College

• In fiscal year 2010, Baby College graduated 407 individuals
• 86% of Baby College parents who read to their children less than 5 times a week at pre-test, improved their frequency
• 92.5% of respondents said they had learned a lot from the classes

Harlem Gems

• Of the 190 four-year-olds that entered the Harlem Gems in the 2009-2010 school year, 16.5% had a school readiness classification of delayed or very delayed. By the end of the year, there were no students classified as "very delayed" and the percentage of "advanced" had gone from 21.3% to 41.6%, with another 6.8% at "very advanced," up from 2.1%. 99.5% of students attained a school readiness classification of average or above.

Promise Academy

• 100% of third graders at Promise Academies I and II tested at or above grade level on the math exam, outperforming their peers in New York State, New York City, District 5, and black and white students throughout the state
• Over 98% of Promise Academy II's students scored at or above grade level on the math exam, outperforming their counterparts in New York State, New York City and District 5, as well as black and white students in New York State
• In English and Language Arts (ELA), over 93% of Promise Academy I third graders tested at or above grade level, outperforming New York State, New York City and District 5 peers, as well as black and white students in New York State
• Over 84% of Promise Academy II's students scored at or above grade level in ELA, outperforming on average their counterparts in New York State, New York City and District 5, as well as black students in New York City
• In 2008, 93% of Promise Academy High School ninth graders passed the statewide Algebra Regents exam.

This organization has really helped a community that once struggled with issues of affordable child care and access to quality child care. It is a very active part of the community. They also provide after school services as well. The organization is making sure that the children are well prepared as they continue their education, from baby college, to preschool and pre-k, all the way to primary school. I am pleased with the work that they are doing to make sure they reach the children of their community in a positive and inspirational way!

Update on International Contact- EDUC 6162

After speaking to my contact Eric in Dubai, I was informed that the inequity that he feels that the children face is proper funding to support all children, not just those who are privileged. Eric stated that it is very important for parents to enroll their children in a school that received an outstanding or good rating. Most of the schools in these categories are private schools. Because parents are anxious to get their children in these schools, the schools have become overcrowded. There are waiting lists. One parent has a child who is in nursery right now, and she placed her 20 month old on a waiting list for one of the primary schools that received a rating of outstanding. This is really a big deal. It is unfortunate that all children are not afforded this type of luxury and are forced to attend our version of public school. Children that attend these schools are automatically placed on an academic pedestal and receive more opportunities for advancement when it comes to college placement and even sports.

The officials are now planning to build more schools in order to reduce the capacity of children in higher seeking facilities. A nursery school has opened a class for one primary grade because of the overflow of the waiting list. By 2024, there should be more schools and more room for adequate placement. Also, one particular school on the outstanding list usually enrolls children in the area automatically. They have been unable to accommodate even those who are to be rightfully enrolled. What I do like about the situation is that there is at least one school in each area that adheres to the rollover program for children. It is good that those children have an opportunity to attend a school with a good or outstanding rating.

Update on The Harlem Children's Zone organization

The Harlem Children’s Zone

www.hcz.org

The Harlem Children’s zone is an organization that is based in Harlem, New York. This organization has grown in many ways. The particular section that caught my attention is the baby college program. This program was adapted in 2000. They are well aware of the critical time of the first few years of life. This workshop is available for parents who have children within the 3 year old age range. This program is of interest to me because it serves children at a very critical time. Being that I am a kindergarten teacher, by the time the children get to me, some of them are still in need of basic learning and development skills. These skills can be reinforced in the early years. However, if parents aren’t aware of what is expected, the children will lack those imperative skills. The baby college provides parents with valuable information for their children.

I think it is a wonderful idea that all the parents who give birth at the neighborhood hospitals have the option to attend the baby college, free of charge. It is wonderful that it is an effort provided for the up and coming Harlem community. The Harlem community has re-vamped from being mainly a poverty stricken area. Even with the renovations and upward move to becoming a middle class area, there are still areas that are poverty stricken. The Harlem Children’s Zone can be credited for serving those who are poverty stricken or middle class. While viewing the site, I did not find any information that I deemed controversial. However, I thought it was relevant to my profession that 100 percent of the Harlem Gems(pre-schoolers) were pre-k ready. I was awed by this because it is so important for children to get the fundamental schooling needed which enhances school readiness. I am always amazed by the number of children entering Kindergarten that don’t colors, shapes, or  the alphabet.

The Harlem Children’s Zone is a non-profit organization that basically runs on donations and approved funding. I feel that the organization has proven to economists and others the importance of education, being with 0-3 year olds or for 3^rd graders(who by the had 83% either on or exceeding on the statewide math exam) I believe that receiving funding from outside sources and donations is not a problem considering that the organizations has made strides with the youth and the community.

My International Contacts

I was able to chat back and forth with Eric Asbury, an American teacher teaching in Dubai. Eric and I initially met via email contact. Due to his email account being checked periodically by his superior, he felt it would be safer to friend eachother on Facebook, and send messages. We introduced ourselves and from that point I asked Eric to tell me one thing that he misses about our culture, education wise. He explained to me that there is a total of 3 teachers in the classroom. That's a big difference from schools here, unless you are special education teacher.   He is the only American. He teaches 5th grade boys. One thing that he misses is the bond he is quickly able to make with the kids here. In Dubai, it's strictly teacher-student.
Eric also stated that when he is alone with the kids, which is rare, the children use profanity towards him. He has told his superiors about this behavior, and they support him, which is good. This week I asked him about the poverty/homeless demographic at his school. He informed me that the children in his class appear to be well taken care of. He asked one of his team members about the poverty rate, and he was told that poverty and homelessness is a sheltered issue in their area of Dubai.
Being able to converse with Eric once a week has been quite interesting. He is adapting to the culture in Dubai. I'm sure it was kind of hard, but he was intrigued by the experience. I have learned that education is not taken lightly there. The school also incorporates their muslim faith and traditions into the learning segment, which is why there are so many teachers in the room because Eric is not allowed to teach that. I look forward to our next conversation. Stay Tuned!

The Harlem Children's Zone Organization

The organization that I chose to sign up to is The Harlem Zone. In this week's newsletter, which was my first one, the organization was praising their president Geoffrey Canada. Geoffrey Canada received the National Freedom Award. Since 1991, the award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to the battlw for civil and human rights, and who have helped create opportunity for the disenfranchised both in the US and around the world. The organization is focused on the bettering the youth of today. The program also offers a baby college. The baby college is a nine week program for expectant parents and parents with a child up to three years old. I think this is a good idea. The workshops promote reading to children and verbal discipline over corporal punishment. The organization focuses on a variety of issues in the early childhood setting. Their objective is to build a safety net woven so tightly that children cannot slip through. What a wonderful objective/focus! Some of their porgrams include:

THE THREE YEAR OLD JOURNEY

The Three-Year-Old Journey works with parents of children who have won the HCZ Promise Academy charter school lottery. Held on Saturdays over several months, it teaches parents about their child's development, building language skills and parenting skills.

GET READY FOR PRE-K

The Get Ready for Pre-K program brings in new Gems students before the start of the school year. The six-week summer session runs for extended hours during weekdays like the regular Gems program, helping children acclimate to the new schedule and readying them to start school in the fall.

HARLEM GEMS^®

Harlem Gems is an all-day pre-kindergarten program that gets children ready to enter kindergarten. Classes have a 4:1 child-to-adult ratio, teach English, Spanish and French, and run from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. HCZ runs three pre-kindergarten sites, serving 200 children.

As far as diversity, the newsletter did not go into depth about it, but throughout the website it is evident that the program changes to suite the needs of the community.  I am pleased with the work the Harlem Zone is doing for their community. I look forward to the next newsletter.

Childhood Organizations for EDUC 6162

I decided to contact the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The school that I reached out to is Ajoke International School. I sent an e-mail to Mrs. Bimbo Are. I basically introduced myself and informed her that I am a student at Walden seeking correspondance regarding issues and trends that are formulated in her country. I extended thanks and my sincere grattitude for her time. I also let her know that if she or one of her colleagues is unable to correspond with me over the course of 8 weeks to kindly send me an email stating so.
The newsletter that I subscribed to comes from the website www.hcz.org which is The Harlem Children's Zone. After perusing the site  I am exited to read about all of the iniatives and trends that take place in their schools. This should be a cool and informative assignment!

My Supports- Who loves ya babe?

When I think of the word support, I automatically connect it to the word help. I feel as though the two go hand in hand. I am blessed to have a great set of siblings as well as a nurturing father. We have each other's backs. When I need emotional support, I turn to my sisters and my fiance. When I need to feel that I am doing the right thing, but I still need encouragement, I turn to my family and my best friends. Life is all about support. I don't know what I would do if I was alone! I would not be able to function without some type of help!!! On a serious note, I am a big advocate for support in the work force. If I have an idea that I think is brilliant, but my team of co-workers thinks its whack, I am not going to go forth with it without their support and expertise. I have a family at work-we fuss and fight but in the end we always have each other's back. That's how we operate in my workplace. It is a good feeling to be supported because it shows that people really care about you enough to embrace whatever it is that you need. If I didn't have my support system, I would probably be in a mental facility. Oh- support is extended with my doctors as well. Not all doctors... care. Sad, but true. I finally found a doctor that tends to my needs and breaks things down for me in a way that I can understand. I recently had a medical issue that was concerning me. I didn't have to wait to get the results via email on the patient website. My doctor called me and we talked about it as if I were sitting in her office. Who knows a doc that consults without an appointment in 2013??? (Maybe you do, but that was a first for me)
I am currently facing the challenge of should I or should I not try to have a baby. I have reviewed all of Dr. Oz's shows on childbirth and age. I have consulted with my doctor. I have consulted with my fiance'(who really wants a child) I want a child, too. I'm just so afraid of the risk factors involved. My family is on my side 100%. Not one person that I have spoken to about this has said "No... you shouldn't get pregnant." It all boils down to my level of faith in God. I will have to have a procedure done in order to carry a baby into full term. I am terrified of having surgery because of what happened to my Mom. She went in for surgery, and was never the same afterwards. *tears* But... I know that I have a ton of people in my corner rooting for me all the way. If I didn't have them, I would not be going back and forth on the issue. I truly love my support system. We work things out together!