Horizons Atlanta x Minorities in STEM Research
Who are our Scholars?
Many of our scholars attend College Park Elementary school, but most attend various schools around the South Fulton/ Tri-Cities area.
We partner with 135 scholars in grades K-8, that were identified after Kindergarten as struggling to meet milestones in reading and/ or math, or their families qualify based on income.
Our scholars are kind, funny, brilliant, and love to learn. They also love to engage with Woodward students!
Mission
Close the opportunity gap for underserved students through high-quality academics and enrichment in a six-week summer learning environment
Snapshot of College Park Elementary
Snapshot of College Park Elementary
Double Jeopardy - Annie E. Casey Study 2011
Students that are not reading proficiently in 3rd grade are 4x less likely to graduate from high school on time
Below-basic reading skills: 23% drop-out rate compared to 9% for basic and proficient reading skill (4%) level students
22% of students that have lived in poverty do not graduate from high school compared to 6%, the rate increases to 32% for those living in poverty for more than half their childhood.
Why do you think low reading levels and poverty both affect graduation rates?
Why the Mobility?
Rent: Red/Orange is High
Income: Red is Low
Source: bestneighborhoods.org
Why the Mobility?
Source: urbandisplacementproject.org
Cost Burdened Households
Source: atlantafed.org
Why are families Cost Burdened?
Why do you think there are so many people facing housing instability?
What are the effects of living in a poor neighborhood?
How Does Housing Instability Affect School Performance?
Housing Instability and evictions disrupt student learning and increase absenteeism, likelihood of dropping out or repeating a grade, school changes, and likelihood of moving to a more underserved area. Case Western 2019
High student turnover can affect teachers, classrooms and schools. Churning of new students may require more of a teacher’s attention and more time reviewing lessons—potentially slowing down the pace of learning and disrupting the classroom for all students. Teachers in schools with high student mobility rates may need to spend extra time reviewing past material and classroom behavior expectations, which impacts instructional time and contributes to higher teacher turnover. Teachers in schools with highly mobile populations may be hampered from moving the curriculum forward. One estimate from Chicago found that by the 5th grade the curriculum was one grade below grade level in high-turnover schools. Students in schools with highly mobile populations have lower test scores than students in schools with more stable populations.
Education matters for our communities further down the line
Souce: statisticalatlas.com
The Problem Becomes Cyclical
High Percentages of Young People Unemployed or Unable to Make Ends Meet
How do we end poverty?
Brainstorm Ideas
Strength-Based Messaging
Emphasizes the strengths, opportunities and power of an individual, group or community. It represents people positively, in a way that feels true and empowering to them.
Words and Phrases to Avoid:
At-Risk Disadvantaged Inner-City
Poor Struggling Any Derogatory Slang
Low-Income Below Grade Level