Community support is about getting involved in our children’s education, offering support to schools and teachers, and creating a familiar education environment where children can learn, explore and develop their highest potential.
Schools are not the only ones that have the role of educating children. Prioritizing the education of our children is essential and being a united community is one step closer to achieving the fit for future education every child needs. Now, students’ social and emotional needs need to be answered first for them to be able to perform in class. Poverty, a dysfunctional family, lack of parental interest or time, and many other things can contribute to children’s vulnerability. While schools are prepared to offer good education to students, they are not fully prepared to answer all the needs above. This is where community involvement comes in.
Schools must have a direct and long-lasting relationship with individuals to grow and educate children. Getting to know the family and the community the child comes from will help schools understand the child.
Community schools can be seen as a way for democracy to be respected – where the voices of students, parents, teachers, and community members help shape and support them.
Tips for healthy community involvement in education:
- Ask for guidance
- Do not overpass the rules
- Make sure you all work towards the same goal
Who can be a part of community support?
Starting with parents and teachers, any other person who is part of that community and wants to share knowledge and help guide the students is welcomed.
How can you get involved?
There are various ways to be involved in a community that supports youth education.
Some of them are:
- Parenting by being there when your kids need and listening to them, getting to know their needs or helping them discover their passions,
- Communicating with youth and answering their questions,
- Volunteering to help with the extracurricular activities of children,
- Time for home learning
- Helping with decision-making,
- Collaboration with the community if there is a need to improve the school system, upgrade the education knowledge of school staff, enhance cultural awareness among students and teach them to accept everyone.
All this support the community can give back to education can fill the system’s many needs. While there are schools with a high infrastructure, highly competent staff, and enough resources to fill in the needs of the youth, many don’t.
And even if you are a part of a community where schools do not need much involvement, get involved.
For children to see that their parents are actively engaging and are directly interested in their education is enough to boost engagement and interest in activities.
Benefits for youth
A big part of the education reform consists of the direct involvement of parents and caregivers in their youth education. While there will always be parents that are just too busy for this, they should first think that it is not about time, as you do not need too much time to give back to the education community of your child; it is about will. One hour per week will do wonders for your children.
- Increase interest in education
- Opt for extracurricular activities
- Help with a better organizing
- Better academic success
- Stay longer in school
- Continue high education programs
But many schools and educational institutions overlook that high student success rates result from three groups collaborating to provide the best opportunities for the future—teachers, parents, and the community. In A New Wave of Evidence the researchers concluded that there is a positive correlation between school, family, and community involvement and student success. (Henderson, A., Mapp, K., 2002, A New Wave of Evidence)
Conclusion
The educational framework represents more than the traditional system of education where children go and learn the lesson. And as Secretary Miguel Cardona said, “community schools are hubs for vital resources and connect students and families to services that can help them thrive.”