Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 January 2004 — Page 7

FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2004

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

PAGE A7

Collegebound students learn at Indy Parks

Counter-clockwise from top: Dr. Lawrence A. Waters, dean of admission and enrollment service at Ball State University, IPS students, and Jean S. Gray, president of College Resources SAT Prep. Inc. attended the 2004 Westside Neighborhood Association and Municipal Garden Advisory Board College Tour at Indy Parks Municipal Gardens. (Photos/J. Hurst) ■ •. . * % ■ ■ . ■ ' „ ^ School 14 embodies true community school concept

By JOSHUA COHEN Staff Writer What do IBM, the Jordan Branch YMCA, 100 Black Men, Shepard Community Church, Midtown Mental Health, Password Mentoring program and the Indiana Women’s Prison all have in common? They are just a few of the over 40 different community organizations that are active in helping Washington Irving Elementary School 14 achieve its goal of building strong families through a strong community. The school is located at 12:)0 E. Market St. Elizabeth Odle, principal of School 14, has been employing community help ever since she took over the school 12 years rago. It began with members of ‘her church and the YMCA and has since blossomed into a vast network of resources for the students and their families. “Anything we need to make learning holistic for our kids, I go out and get that," said Odle. This includes dental care for students, counseling for parents, mentoring for students who need extra help or scholastic basketball and track. School 14 even offers all-day kinder-

garten, a program the rest of the state is still try ing to find funding for. If this seems like an overwhelming task for a principal to undergo, don't forget she still has to handle the everyday tasks of running an elementary school. This is why the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the John H. Boner Community Center has provided a grant that enabled Odle to hire Community School Coordinator, Rebecca Phillips. “She can enhance our work with the community so that I can go back to the classroom," said Odle. “We embrace the community so none of the children fall through the cracks,"said Phillips. “The Community School concept has gained more drive since the ‘No Child Left Behind’ Act. We have embraced the African proverb ‘it takes an entire village to raise a child." According to Odle, School 14 has one of the largest populations of children coming from homeless families. There is a studentteacher ratio of 21 to one. "We have to do more," said Odle. “We make sure the families are involved. You can’t help the children without helping the family. Our families need more and

EDUCATON BRIEFS

we couldn’t do it w ithout the community.” Ada Wells is a foster parent w hose children attend School 14. She is the president of the WISH Team, the Washington Irving School Helpers. The WISH Team consists of parents who volunteer their time to help out at thg school. “I don’t just go there for my kids,”said Wells. “Community involvement is very important for the success of any child.” Wells and her team organize fundraisers to send students on field trips, organize celebrations for students who make the honor roll, mentor “problem children" w ho may not have a full support group at home, do paperwork and other tasks for teachers so they can concentrate on their students and anything else needed. “We do whatever is necessary for our children,” Wells asserted. "When kids know someone is interested in them, they want to do well.” Some of the other community organizations that help at School 14 are Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Westminister Presbyterian church, the National Council of Negro Women, Experience Corps tutors and the USA Group.

Lumina Foundation awards $866,500 to regional sites To help improve student retention and degree attainment at nine Indiana campuses, Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation for Education has granted a total of $866,500 to programs designed to ensure student success during the critical first years of college. Regional campuses of Indiana University and Purdue University and the University of Southern Indiana have been awarded a share of the total funding as part of the Lumina Foundation’s President’s Fund for Student Success in the First and Second Years of College progr-am. Grants were awarded to IU East, IU

Kokomo, IU Northwest, IndianaPurdue Fort Wayne, IU South Bend, IU Southeast, Purdue Calumet, Purdue North Central and USI. 21 st Century Scholars offer college money The 21 s ' Century Scholars Support program for Central Indiana is accepting applications for eligible 7 ,h and 8 ,h graders. Students sign a pledge to the state of Indiana to remain drug/ crime free, graduate from an accredited Indiana high school with at least a C average, apply for financial aid as a senior and apply for admission to an Indiana college. If they fulfill this promise, the state awards them four years of college tuition to an

Indiana college. For more information call (317) 233-2100 or visit the Web site at http:// scholars.indiana.edu. Computer-based after school program The Charity Academy offers a computer-based after school program on 6350 Westhaven Dr., just off the corner of 38 ,h and High School Rd. from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Services include before and after school programs, half-day kindergarten, or tare for children when you need to go shopping for at least two hours. Transportation arrangement is also available. For more information call (317) 280 8029.

Full-day kindergarten key to closing achievement gap By JOSHUA COHEN Staff Writer

Governor Joseph E. Kernan recently announced his plan to implement full-day kindergarten in the state of Indiana. “The research on the benefits of high-quality, full-day kinder- * garten programs is simply too compelling to continue to ignore," said state Rep. Terri Austin. Many opponents of Kernan’s plan say it may not be monetarily feasible. However, Austin agrees with the governor that it is essential to institute a plan to send kindergarten students to school all day. “Studies confirm that highquality education makes a difference,’’ she said. “Children who have quality' early-learning experiences will do better in school and later in life.” “Early education is a sound and necessary investment in our future,” said Kernan in his State of the State address Tuesday. The governor told the assembled legislators that good business sense dictates that better education leads to better jobs. The governor proposes to pay for the first three years of his plan with mixed funds, some of w’hich will come from gambling tax dollars and the teacher’s pension fund. The plan would cost $150 million a year but would eventually offer free voluntary all-day kindergarten for every child in the state. But to some, this seems even more unlikely with the state’s $1 billion deficit. “Families with low' incomes, particularly the near-poor, have the least access to high-quality early-childhood services,” said Austin. One of the most important aspects of full-day kindergarten is the affect it will have on the achievement gap. “If w’e are really serious about closing the achievement gap, and we care about the future of all children, w'e have to do more than give lip service to the Early Learning Trust proposal," Austin asserts. “It contains some of the best ideas supported by research and common sense in education today. This should not become a partisan issue and shame on us if it does!"

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