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Visit our website: www.dekalbcountykeys.org |
The KEYS to the Future |
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FEBRUARY 2009 |
Volume 1, Number 10 |
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To learn more about Search Institute’s asset categories or the 40 Developmental Assets and ideas for helping young people build them visit www.search-institute.org/assets
Developmental Assets® are positive factors within young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings that research has found to be important in promoting the healthy development of young people. From Instant Assets: 52 Short and Simple E-Mails for Sharing the Asset Message. Copyright © 2007 by Search Institute®, 877-240-7251; www.search-institute.org. This message may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). All rights reserved.
For more information on the Teen Parent Program at Kishwaukee College, contact Julie Male at 815-825-2086, ext. 312; for more information on the Kishwaukee College WIA program, contact program Coordinator Mary Ann Kolls at ext. 519.
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Subject: Asset 6 – Parent Involvement in School
Get involved, Stay involved When children start kindergarten, most parents are quite involved with their education. They attend parent-teacher conferences, cheer on their children at school concerts, and proudly display their children’s artwork. But far too often, parents begin to distance themselves from their children’s schooling as the kids grow older. The involvement drops dramatically once young people enter middle and high school – in some respects the most difficult time for young people. Parents don’t have to go to school every day or even volunteer monthly, but it’s important to know what’s going on with their children’s education. Parent Involvement in School is Asset 6 of Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets, the qualities, experiences and relationships that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
Here are the facts Research shows that young people are more likely to grow up healthy when their parents are involved in their education. Only 29 percent of young people, ages 11-18, say their parent(s) are actively involved in helping them succeed in school, according to Search Institute surveys. Remember, even if they don’t always show it, young people need your help with school. Check in with your kids to see how they feel things are going with school – and make sure to communicate regularly with teachers as well.
Tips for building this asset
Young people need their parents to stay actively involved in their education throughout middle and high school. If you’re a parent, introduce yourself to your child’s teachers and establish clear, open communication. Attend all teacher-parent conferences, or reschedule a more convenient time if needed. If possible, volunteer in small ways, such as speaking on career day or setting up for a classroom party. Also, talk to your child about school. Ask him or her about current assignments and projects. Be available to help when your child needs it. If you’re a teacher, reach out to parents and engage them as partners in their children’s education.
Also try this
In your home and family: Maintain ongoing communication with your child’s teachers. Call or e-mail to check in every other month – or more often if necessary.
In your neighborhood and community: Join a parent-teacher organization. If your time is limited for volunteering do what you can when you can.
In your school: Offer parents easy, convenient ways to get involved in their children’s education. For example, tutoring students before exams may be perfect for parents who can’t make an ongoing commitment. For parents who miss conferences, try calling them to find out what’s keeping them from attending. See if you can work out a way to get together or by phone discuss their child’s progress.
In your youth program: Offer child care or transportation to parents who need these services to be able to get involved at their child’s school.
Local statistics
The national average of young people 11-18 years of age who say their parents are actively involved in helping them succeed in school is 29%. Our local survey indicates that youth of that age group who have this parental assistance is less - only 27%.
Please remember: Assets have the power to protect our young people from engaging in risk-taking behaviors such as alcohol use, shoplifting, vandalism, trouble with the police, engaging in violent behavior, and more. Get involved with your children’s education!
Share your Asset stories with us! How are you letting our young people know that their education is important? Does your club or organization get involved with education programs in the community? If you have seen or been a part of a story that shows Assets in use, please email us so we can share your story with our readers. Reach us at info@dekalbcountykeys.org.
Assets in Action
Finding the Reason at Kishwaukee College Ysha believes in the philosophy that everything happens for a reason, though what the reason is may not always be clear. This young single mother moved to DeKalb with her 16 month old daughter, Sky, and her mother to find a brighter future. She found it with a little help from the Adult Education programs at Kishwaukee College.
Ysha found the corridors of education to be a dangerous journey at Corliss High School in Chicago. She said. “I never liked school. I dropped out when I was 15.” Leaving school meant leaving the traditional path to success. Her mother moved, looking for a better life and took Ysha with her—different neighborhoods in Chicago, then to Gary, Indiana, and finally to DeKalb. For Ysha, DeKalb represented an opportunity to start new, start over.
“I knew I needed a GED,” Ysha explained. “You can’t get a job without at least a GED. So I came to Kish.” As a teenaged mother, Ysha entered the Teen Parent Program and met Julie Male, the program’s coordinator. Ysha said, “Julie was great—she helped me so much!” Male gave Ysha the assistance she needed to find a little financial stability. Years of experience helps Male know that often the simplest obstacle can derail a student trying to make a change. So Male tackled the potential obstacles quickly—she helped Ysha get a special lotion for her daughter, gas cards, and a shoulder to lean on.
Ysha passed her GED in April 2008 and participated in commencement at Kishwaukee College that May. “I didn’t really want to go, but my Mom wanted me to. I’m glad I went through graduation for her,” said Ysha.
Julie Male, however, wasn’t finished. She introduced Ysha to Valerie Kreiser, Case Manager with the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program at Kishwaukee College. Kreiser enrolled Ysha in the program. WIA provides financial assistance to eligible participants who enter into a short term occupational training program. Through WIA, students receive assistance with tuition, books, childcare expenses, and transportation.
As a child, Ysha had skated through a variety of career interests, including becoming a veterinarian. Something about caring for others still burned inside and she discovered an interest in nursing. Under the WIA program, Ysha enrolled in the Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) program and passed with a B average. Proud of her success, she is investigating going further and perhaps pursuing an RN degree.
Although the road to success is a long one and Ysha certainly had a make an uphill climb, she regrets none of the experiences and hardships that she went through to get to her CNA and future goals. She said, “Hard as it was, I wouldn’t change anything. Because I wouldn’t be as strong as I am today. Everything happens for a reason.” |
