I always believed I could achieve whatever I wanted in life if I just tried hard enough. As a young girl, I was surrounded by very strong, independent women, who defined a clear path for me – finish high school, graduate from college, then consider marriage and a family. Unfortunately, I wasn’t always clear about how to navigate this path.
I have been working with Citizen Schools for almost three years now, and I still find myself saying, “Man, I wish my middle school had something like this!” Citizen Schools is an education nonprofit which partners with middle schools in low-income communities to expand the school day with hands-on, engaging learning activities.
Our rigorous program supports the school day learning while also preparing our students for future success in high school, college, career and civic life. One way we accomplish this is by working more extensively with our eighth-grade students. We explain the high school choice process to them (and their parents) and then have the students research and analyze data from several high schools to help them make an informed decision. Our students visit college campuses, learn how to write a resume, research potential careers and participate in mock interviews.
All the activities lead to one inspiring and empowering evening called 6 Degrees of Charlotte. On February 2, 2012, Citizen Schools eighth-grade students will exchange their school uniforms for professional attire. With business cards in hand, students network with local professionals from fields such as law, government, business, architecture and journalism. They gain insight into the professions and learn how to build and engage their own network in order to achieve their college and career goals as they transition to high school.
Maybe you can’t commit to volunteering with Citizen Schools, but you can attend an amazing event and simply have a meaningful conversation with a student who wants to know, “What did you do to get to where you are today?” Our students have big dreams and goals, but they don’t always know how to “navigate the path” to success.
So, I invite you to attend Citizen Schools’ 6 Degrees of Charlotte to make a lifetime of difference in one evening.
Please RSVP using the link provided above or visit: www.6degreesofcharlotte.org.
Abby Whisenant is Executive Assistant & Communications Associate for Citizen Schools North Carolina. She also serves on the planning committee for TEDxCharlotteED as the community manager. Please contact Abby to learn more about Citizen Schools – abbywhisenant@citizenschools.org.