Community School Update
-Kenah: reopening has been a little chaotic—working on training staff to use the internet and making sure that students have access to the internet and devices while also figuring out how to continue programming virtually and can keep students engaged virtually. Working on supporting students with their homelife. See access to housing as a major need–not particularly concerned about food, but a huge housing crash is coming. Will also lose touch with families.
-Joe: planning a SHAA Care Day for families. Have had struggles communicating with families–has been difficult figuring out what the best way to engage families and ensure that they have the training and support needed to help support students. Access to PPE is an issue, and looking for creative ways to connect with students and families. Would like to focus on ways to make sure that students and families are connected to the internet–continue to look for ways to expand digital equity in the neighborhoods.
–Stephanie suggested connecting via Class Dojo
–Charles Carroll Barrister: concerned about effectively communicating with parents, especially harder to reach parents
Community Schools Program has also been thinking about the idea of learning pods, and have been wondering how to support families–hasn’t been directly voiced to the coordinators so are working with parents and families to see what level of demand there is about this issue and if there’s a way to support them. Also see a need for support for training on technology and how to support students.
Biggest issues seem to be access to technology and training and supporting pods if and where needed.
SAFE Center is offering a learning support program at the SAFE Center from 8-3pm and students will also participate in a hands on activity. Elam could connect anyone interested with Van to learn more.
Nativity would be more than happy to provide resources to help with pods and technology training.
Sheila: North Ave is still working on figuring out how to define pods.
Abigail: parents could use tech literacy training, could also provide a stipend to a parent who can wrangle the kids, or hold outdoor parent learning circles. Also suggested a survey
Next Steps: Community School folks will develop a sense and a plan of what parents and families at individual schools need and develop a plan to meet those needs and we can figure out how to get the resources to meet those plans
Felecia: this conversation speaks to the need to have family voice participating in the committee
Youth Engagement Update
Elizabeth met with Rashad Staton, the Youth Engagement Specialist for Community Engagement at North Ave. Rashad provided best practices that should be followed in youth engagement and suggested the formation of a subcommittee that would be tasked with developing a plan for meaningful engagement with young people. Committee members volunteered serve on the subcommittee as well as a subcommittee to address learning pods.
Covid-19 Response Update
United Way provided mask donations which were distributed through the community-we do have some left at the SWP office if folks are in need. If anyone is interested in addressing any of the focus areas please let Elizabeth know.
Racial Equity Update
The Education Committee will be holding off on pushing forward with the implementation of their specific recommendations while the SWP Board and Staff under go organizational anti-racism/white supremacy assessment and facilitated work with a consultant
Announcements
Morgan State has a program called Morgan CARES that provides small grants to address health disparities. Someone from Morgan could come to the next Education Committee meeting to talk about the program.
Lou has started an organization called Hands and Feet United and is recruiting volunteers for Thread. If anyone is interested in volunteering they should contact Lou.
Chat log
19:03:45 From Elam Boockvar-Klein to Elizabeth Weber(Privately) : elam.boockvar-klein@werepair.org
19:03:47 From Elizabeth Weber : Elizabeth email: Elizabeth@swpbal.org
19:03:54 From Elam Boockvar-Klein to Elizabeth Weber(Privately) : So good to put a name to the face!
19:04:22 From Stephanie : Stephanie Williams swilliams4@cc-md.org
19:11:19 From Abigail : Brevity is the soul of decreased dental pain. Thank you to everyone for coming and to E for leading the meeting!
19:27:57 From Kenah Lyons : Elam are you from michigan?
19:28:46 From Cecilia Gonzalez : so, how can we support the parents? (Will Miller)
19:33:31 From Cecilia Gonzalez : that’s what it seemed like, that they are not accessible to lower income families
19:35:39 From Cecilia Gonzalez : if school coordinators need help going out to surveying, some of us could help
19:36:39 From Cecilia Gonzalez : there’s a lot we can do to gather data out and about with an iPad, a hotspot and a simple survey (like Google?)
19:37:59 From Cecilia Gonzalez : if surveys have been done, it would great to see the information
19:38:02 From Abigail : Thanks, Cecilia! I’m taking note of your offer…
19:38:15 From Cecilia Gonzalez : great ????
19:38:59 From Sheila Drummond Camm : Agreed
19:39:01 From Abigail : Amen.
19:39:20 From Cecilia Gonzalez : it’ll be great to invite parents to this meeting who want to share on behalf of their neighborhood
19:40:10 From Abigail : Please feel free to invite anyone – all SWP committees are open to everyone.
19:40:51 From Laura Dykes : Are these pods outside?
19:41:12 From Felecia : They can be outside, but not all of them are.
19:42:33 From Abigail : A learning pod could simply be an adult monitoring and troubleshooting a group of kids doing their virtual learning….
19:42:55 From Abigail : to a teacher planning group activities, brain and movement breaks, adding art activities, etc.
19:51:00 From Cecilia Gonzalez : I know we’re trying to move on, but I do think it would be important to think about the idea of pods, if they aren’t really designed for lower income families, there might be other solutions that would need to be explored
19:51:25 From Cecilia Gonzalez : great!
19:51:37 From Cecilia Gonzalez : cecigonzalez03@gmail.com
19:51:47 From Sheila Drummond Camm : They should be for all families
19:52:09 From Erica Knox : yes
19:52:24 From Quincy Goldsmith : as should a lot of other things.
19:52:43 From Sheila Drummond Camm : Yes, yes, yes Quincy
19:53:31 From Sheila Drummond Camm : I will make sure to share all information and make sure it will be sent to Felicia to share
19:53:46 From Lou Packett : Both.
19:53:58 From Dotie Page : both
19:54:29 From iPad : pods
19:54:39 From Erica Knox : pods
19:55:07 From Cecilia Gonzalez : pods
19:55:19 From Cecilia Gonzalez : and survey
19:55:46 From Denise Hillery : Pods
19:56:01 From Cecilia Gonzalez : (I didn’t hear the other ☺️ but I’ll read the minutes)
19:58:47 From Cecilia Gonzalez : I know a company that makes really good masks Move The Needle. I could get in touch with them
19:59:08 From C. Givens-Patterson : Hello, I am interested.
19:59:13 From Cecilia Gonzalez : and there’s another called Masks for the Masses (I think)
20:00:13 From Cecilia Gonzalez : is there an estimate of how many masks would be needed?
20:00:41 From Abigail : And if anyone knows crafty people in the neighborhood who would like to make masks, perhaps we could provide them with cloth to make them…
20:01:14 From Elizabeth Weber : Cecilia not really–I think we would want to have a ready supply available to those who might need them
20:01:24 From Cecilia Gonzalez : I have a friend, and her family/church makes some. I could ask her
20:01:36 From Abigail : Super!
20:07:32 From Sheila Drummond Camm : Cloth ones are supposed to be among the best
20:14:33 From iPad : yes
20:14:36 From Cecilia Gonzalez : I believe the issue of racial equity (and white supremacy) should not only be talked about, but addressed internally in an organization… I guess that’s what’s being said right now
20:15:15 From Cecilia Gonzalez : diversity and inclusion
