I
have been reviewing the Harlem Children's Zone (www.hcz.org)
website. I really didn't identify a particular article that seemed
relevant to my professional development, but I am very impressed with
all the good work the organization is doing for the children in that
community.
There are several articles on the website that has made me think about issues in new ways. One article that did catch my attention was written by Geoffrey Canada for the Huffington Post on encouraging children to engage in public service, and HCZ’s extensive work with AmeriCorps workers.
In 2013, The Harlem Children's Zone trained more than 100 AmeriCorps workers, whom they called Peacemakers. The Peacemakers served nearly 2,500 children in traditional public elementary schools in Harlem. Through their daily leadership, the students were taught a peaceful path through conflict resolution and tutoring. Low-income families also received assistance in obtaining critical services. Each of the Peacemakers received tuition assistance for their education, making their dream of a college degree that much more attainable.
This
article resonated with me because it is so important to give back. I
learned this at a young age and it has helped me became a more well
rounded individual--sensitive to the needs of others. Children need
to learn the importance of service, and why not start at a young age.
The HCZ has helped bring much needed awareness to the importance of early childhood education. The former CEO, Geoffrey is very politically connected and in 2014, Fortune Magazine named him #12 on the list of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders. He also won the National Freedom Award and has been featured in the NY Times and Oprah—all the while promoting the importance of Early Childhood education.
I also looked into the Harlem Children's Zone! It was hard for me to identify with an article as well. It seemed that many of their articles were updates on what is going on in their administration since they are having a change of CEO. It was very interesting to see that their former CEO was very successful and connected with politics. I would go as far to say that is a factor in how they have grown and accomplished so much! I'm sure their new CEO will make some great impacts as well.
ReplyDeleteHello Viticha,
ReplyDeleteThe article about public service is a good resource, I will make sure that I use the link to help me when I work on project that I need other to commit to. The Harlem Children Zone is doing great work to start with children when they’re young to instill and build a foundation of community service in children that they will grow up with. Thanks for sharing.