The Community Champions
Personal background and situations may be different, but every single child has one thing in common; with the right direction and support, they have the potential to succeed. In our mainstream schools, some pupils seem to breeze through. They turn up, listen, take part, complete homework, pass exams and leave equipped to go onto better things. Then there are those students who struggle and have a very different view of school life altogether; whether it be through immaturity, lack of self-esteem, little or no family support, motivation or just the general inability to grasp the importance of what is on offer.
Often, with that kind of attitude comes disruption and disrespect in the classroom, ending in total frustration and hours of wasted time. The teachers who have prepared and planned specific lessons are sometimes almost considered a nuisance or perhaps someone there to spoil their social interaction. Instead of teaching, it can end up policing a class, which then has a knock-on effect on those students who do grasp the point of education and want to learn.
Our aim is solely to support the school and the teachers. We all understand and appreciate what a difficult and stressful profession teaching can be. When a Community Champion is invited into a school they will talk about their own journeys but also endeavour to inspire, encourage and motivate their audience. We would like to try and change the attitude and the way some students feel about education in general.
The Community Champions help and support the ‘Educational Bank Account’. Every bit of effort and knowledge they retain now is almost like banking invisible money, and without realising it, they are already preparing and contributing to this ‘Educational Bank Account’ which will pay dividends at a later date. This will give them something to offer and enable them to have choices in life. In addition, it will prepare them to stand on their own two feet, take care of their families and feel like a worthwhile member of society.
Furthermore, if our team members can help just some of these young people, to see the connection between, the value, effort and hard work they put in today and the opportunities that will open on leaving school with a full ‘Educational Bank Account’, our initiative has been a success.