African American Youth Initiative Students Travel to Washington D.C. – Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper

By Karen Stokes

Randee Drew, Scholar Fairness and Engagement Coordinator, Whitefish Bay Faculty District (Picture/Randee Drew)

A bunch of 60 highschool college students which can be members of the African American Youth Initiative (AAYI) from southeast Wisconsin, traveled to Washington D.C. final week.

Nominated by their faculties, these college students visited our nation’s capital to realize data and perspective of Black historical past, tradition and experiences exterior the classroom.

“The general expertise has been superior,” stated Randee Drew, Scholar Fairness and Engagement Coordinator. “The youngsters had a blast! We’ve had nice talks, and we’ve seen so many historic websites. We went to Howard College and had an incredible tour there and had a mini tour at College of Maryland and now we’re right here at Six Flags.”

The AAYI college students visited historic sights on the D.C. journey (Picture/Randee Drew)

The scholars additionally visited the Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of African American Historical past and Tradition, in addition to the Freedom’s Battle in Alexandria strolling tour.

College students have been chosen to attend on account of their involvement within the AAYI which is an effort of the Closing the Achievement Hole Consortium (CAGC).

The aim of the AAYI is to assist younger women and men of African descent towards larger ranges of educational efficiency in a Ok-12 setting. A major goal of the Initiative is to help African American college students of their persistence towards school readiness and completion.

A bunch of 60 African American highschool college students from southeast Wisconsin traveled to Washington D.C. (Picture/Randee Drew)

Many previous AAYI college students are in school and Drew talked about that a variety of their first college students have graduated from school.

“I feel the objective is to push affect in entrance of those children. We go on subject journeys to predominately Black companies or firms with Black executives to allow them to see Black excellence, the place they’ll see people which can be from the identical neighborhood, the identical streets, the identical faculties as they’ll see how profitable they’re,” Drew stated.

The AAYI began out because the African American Male Initiative. There have been 40 college students taking part and there have been 10 faculty districts.

“Now we’re at 40 districts and for the previous seven years we’ve had over 100 taking part faculties from varied districts,” Drew stated. “This yr we name it AAYI as a result of we mixed female and male college students.”

Closing the Achievement Hole Consortium (CAGC) is a group of over 35 private and non-private faculty programs in southeastern Wisconsin who work collectively to create better fairness of their faculties.

Wisconsin has the widest achievement hole between Black and White college students of any state primarily based on outcomes of a take a look at often called the Nation’s Report Card.

In closing the tutorial achievement hole, academics and fogeys have necessary roles to play.

Based on Drew, academics, particularly these in Predominantly White Establishments have to be culturally conscious.

“There’s no handbook for a white trainer making an attempt to deal with a Black scholar. I do assume it’s necessary that they stress fairness. Fairness shouldn’t be equality. Perceive the scholars’ backgrounds, perceive the complexities of their lives,” stated Drew.

“What mother and father can do is be energetic on the faculty. Be part of the PTA, attend faculty conferences and be seen so your youngster’s trainer is aware of you. The scholars want their mother and father’ assist and wish their mother and father to advocate for them,” he stated.

Drew encourages anybody curious about studying extra about AAYI or CAGC to contact him at Whitefish Bay Faculty District, wfbschools.com or name 414-963-3971