This is why we do what we do…

There are special moments amidst the operational to-dos that crystallize why we do what we do…  this story comes from Moe, our District Manager on the Big Island.  It’s so touching, especially during this holiday season, that I had to share via the blog.  High school students who graduate from our after-school tutoring program, receive a free laptop.  It’s an incentive for them to complete the program and, more importantly, a tool they can use to produce, collaborate, and connect in the 21^st century.  Here’s the story…

Moe writes, “We delivered our first nine laptops to grad students today and it went terrific.   A dad brought me outside to say that things haven’t been going so well for his family this year and we (IAAK) was able to give his kids a Christmas they really deserved.  It was quite an emotional moment for both of us.  Also, a student at Waiakea High will be getting her laptop tomorrow.  She will be moving back to the Marshall Islands and said she’s bringing the laptop as a present for her whole family.  Her mom and dad called saying how appreciative they were and asked me to come over for tea.  It’s days like these that keep us pushing to help as many families as we can.  Keep doing what you’re doing, great things are happening.”

It’s incredible to hear the impact our work is having on families – not just the kids we serve.   Thanks to the entire IAAK team for the dedication to serve children and their families and communities.  Thank you to Moe for reflecting and sharing this special moment with all of us.  Happy holidays!

Positive trends in parent involvement – according to Census data

Some good news this Friday… an article in Education Week today, “Census:  Parents Reading More With Their Children”, highlights that low-income parents are more involved with their young children than they were a decade ago.  Census data show that young children are spending more time with their parents, reading, playing, eating dinner, etc. and, this of course, research shows translates to greater academic success and outcomes.  Also refreshing was the finding that more parents reported that they wanted and expected their child to graduate from high school and even college.  “While fewer than half of low-income parents in 1998 expected their children to graduate from college, 54 percent of that group expected their children to earn a college degree in 2009.”  Very encouraging news.

I have to admit I’ve struggled with the notion that schools should be responsible for facilitating parent involvement and, in a way, “educate” parents.  I’ve always thought schools have enough to do – educate and inspire children – and to do that well, it takes a lot.  However, these findings coupled with some recent experiences and conversations (perhaps largely due to the fact that I’m now a parent of a child in school) have helped me see that it is actually quite easy for schools to model behaviors and informally “train” parents.  It is a natural extension of their function and can be done with minimal resources.  It’s a beautiful win-win-win, isn’t it?