Week 9: Lit Review - Erin

Reece, C., Staudt, M., & Ogle, A. (2013). Lessons learned from a neighborhood-based collaboration to increase parent engagement. School Community Journal, 23(2), 207-225.

In St. Louis, we have seen a pattern in the development of youth initiatives, particularly in city schools. During our visit to the JeffVanderLou neighborhood, we heard about the success of Angel Baked Cookies (http://angelbaked.org/).  In an effort to engage youth, lower crime, and prevent gang membership, this community has provided a program for youth to actively participate in the welfare of the neighborhood and prepare themselves for college. I have seen this similar concern for youth engagement in my assigned community, University City. After interviewing both the U. City Police Sergeant and the Director of Student Services in the University City School District, it became apparent that programs are needed to keep students out of trouble after school and during the summers.  Business owners claim that the youth overcrowd “the Loop” district, thus inhibiting economic advancement. The School district has also gone to a no tolerance policy on gang related activities, and while it has shown success there are a number of students who were permanently removed from the school who could have been helped with prevention strategies. In this literature review, I will share an example of program implementation in another community that has shown effectiveness with urban youth utilizing an innovative family focused intervention.

Studies have shown that increased parent engagement, within their children’s schooling and in the community, has a significant impact on the academic success of students. To address the issues of academic performance and parent involvement, organizers in the community of Knoxville, Tennessee implemented the "Neighboring Project Parent Empowerment and Volunteer Readiness Program”, a collaborative project known as the Neighboring Project. This program is supported by the local Project GRAD (Graduation Really Achieves Dreams), a national education initiative, and the local public housing authority. Residents who participate in public housing services are required to engage in community service, and these participants are typically low-income, urban parents. In the Neighboring Project, parents can complete their service requirements by volunteering in their children’s school communities, attending education programs to support local initiatives, and developing an individualized family plan which supports academically stimulating home environments. Additionally, within this program parents gain an increase in confidence in talking to teachers and administrations, and in turn can help to educate other members of the community. According to the authors, “findings from focus groups and anecdotal information reveal the Neighboring Project had lasting impact on participants and led to increased involvement in school and neighborhood. “ (Reece, Staudt, Ogle, 2013).

Lastly, I leave you with some questions to think about, and appreciate your comments:     

-          What other barriers (community factors, economic factors, etc.) do you believe inhibit students’ abilities to thrive in an academic setting?

-          Should we look at this issue from a family intervention model, such as the Neighboring Project, or from a student intervention model, such as Angel Baked Cookies?

-          What other programs have you found to be effective in your community (or assigned community), and how can we use these other findings to improve our programs?