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Module 5: Family and Community PartnershipsCommunity Partnerships |
Page 5
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It takes a village...
Children are the future. Those of us in the child care profession are helping mold and develop future members of society. We have a responsibility to the children and ourselves as well as the rest of the community. Students who are part of a program at school, child care or extra curricular activities that involves members of the community tend to do better in school and stay in school longer with better results. It takes a village to raise a well-rounded child.
To get our students to a place that is appropriate for 21st century learners, we must involve many parts of the community. In fact, the more the better for everyone involved.
A well rounded, partnership-minded child care program should exhibit the following as guidelines to creating strong community partnerships:
1. Include the community in your idea of school and learning. Yes, school is the epicenter of learning, but there is so much more to be learned outside of school! Education centers, play areas, non-profit community programs and more are all treasure troves of learning opportunities.
2. Make community connections with stakeholders. Stakeholders are members of the community who are heavily impacted or invested in the education of children. Some may be parents and families but others are small business owners, government officials and seniors. Meet them and tell them about your program's goals, learn about theirs, see how you can help each other and make the most out of this connection.
3. Create a community resource map. Create something to organize all of your community resources and connections. This can be a map on the wall with pins in it, describing those resources or it can simply be a file folder with contact information. Though not all community connections may seem significant at first, some may prove to be a lifesaver.
4. Connect curriculum with real-world experiences. Most of our learning experiences can be applied to the real world outside of the classroom. If your program can make a connection between curriculum and the community, students will deepen their understanding.
Children are the future. Those of us in the child care profession are helping mold and develop future members of society. We have a responsibility to the children and ourselves as well as the rest of the community. Students who are part of a program at school, child care or extra curricular activities that involves members of the community tend to do better in school and stay in school longer with better results. It takes a village to raise a well-rounded child.
To get our students to a place that is appropriate for 21st century learners, we must involve many parts of the community. In fact, the more the better for everyone involved.
A well rounded, partnership-minded child care program should exhibit the following as guidelines to creating strong community partnerships:
1. Include the community in your idea of school and learning. Yes, school is the epicenter of learning, but there is so much more to be learned outside of school! Education centers, play areas, non-profit community programs and more are all treasure troves of learning opportunities.
2. Make community connections with stakeholders. Stakeholders are members of the community who are heavily impacted or invested in the education of children. Some may be parents and families but others are small business owners, government officials and seniors. Meet them and tell them about your program's goals, learn about theirs, see how you can help each other and make the most out of this connection.
3. Create a community resource map. Create something to organize all of your community resources and connections. This can be a map on the wall with pins in it, describing those resources or it can simply be a file folder with contact information. Though not all community connections may seem significant at first, some may prove to be a lifesaver.
4. Connect curriculum with real-world experiences. Most of our learning experiences can be applied to the real world outside of the classroom. If your program can make a connection between curriculum and the community, students will deepen their understanding.
The course does not "save" your progress. Use the checklist provided to track your progress, and click on the link in the menu to return to where you left off in the training.