AuntieLandraslibrary.com
The world largest online collection of Educational and Entertainment Black - African American Books, Dolls, Videos, DVD's, Cd's, Action Figures, Games, Computer Software for Black Children - African American Children and the Entire Black Family. Antie Landra's Library is a new featured site on Afrocentric Learning Tools.

I wanted to share my book, 'A Better Today Brings a Brighter Tomorrow', it is a resource guide for Black Parents and Minority Students highlighting the various free and affordable programs available to urban students from pre-college programs to internships, and mentoring organizations. My original reason for writing this book was to help single black mothers, like my mother, who were in search of programs to put their child in, or free resources like college application fee waivers, after school activities, etc. I hope to help parents and educators provide more African American Children with realistic forums in which to develop their academic and personal talents. [http://www.msoyonline.com/abtabt] This text is also listed on amazon.com. - LaShanda Henry

Black College Students - College Prep
Academic resources for the advancement of minority students into College.

SINGLE MOMS ACADEMIC SUPPORT

BLACK FAMILY HOMESCHOOLERS GUIDE

URBAN YOUTH PROGRAMS

MINORITY STUDENTS COLLEGE PREP

View more Books about Black Education & Black Students

If we're really go to talk about Back to School then let's talk about what we do with the kids After School. Whether it be on the weekends or during the week, every parent wants to make sure their kids are being looked after and that their academics are on point. Furthermore, everyone wants to find the best child-friendly, low-cost no-cost programs.

Here is an excerpt of my Black Parenting Guide, that talks about supplemental academic resources for students of color...

In any well rounded political debate education is one of the top five topics of discussion. This is the case because with regards to our educational system there is always room for improvement. Practically every academic improvement up for discussion should be prefaced with the word ‘More’; more teachers, more books, more schools, and more supplies. More often than not at the top of constituents’ academic ideals is the belief that more money will create better schools.

In the midst of this outcry for more, students unable to attend the top schools are getting less. Beyond losing potential opportunities, they are losing their desire to learn. While many parents are left with their demands for more, anxiously awaiting a day when quality education will truly be accessible to all, the rest of us seek alternative solutions outside the school walls.

Everyday children across America attend after school and pre-college programs at which they generate a renewed sense of themselves through new arenas of support. In spite of overcrowded classrooms and out dated books, students can further develop their minds with the help of the one-on-one training and co-curriculum classes that these organizations provide. For the most part, these programs typically offer tutoring, summer instruction, workshops, and career counseling.

Similar to the search for a good school, in the world of after school economics, the demand is always greater than the supply. Moreover, the best institutions are sometimes the best kept secrets. Fortunately, supplemental Educational programs for youth come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are tutoring/mentoring programs, pre-college programs, community centers, camps, youth focused internships, talent searches, and career training programs. Use these organizational categories as buzz words and guides. Look online and through local newspapers to find out where such programs exist and how your child can take advantage of them.

A Better Today Brings a Brighter Tomorrow is a resource guide that features supplemental education programs for students of color and their parents. This book is available for purchase at www.lulu.com/msoy and on amazon.com. Additionally, the guide’s website, abt.msoyonline.com, includes an online directory of community outreach programs, more informative articles, and helpful forums for parents.

As long as poorly funded schools remain an issue within countless black communities, supplemental education programs will continue to provide as many students as possible with well-rounded academic experiences. We must all actively advocate for the improvement of our schools, but as a parent it is equally important you, not the schools, control your child’s academic experience. Look outside the school system for a new pool of opportunities to dive into and a self-made village in which to raise your child.

Afterschool / Mentoring / Pre-College Programs featured in this book:

Groundwork Inc.
www.groundworkinc.org

Upward Bound Program
www.ed.gov/programs/trioupbound

College Summit
www.collegesummit.org

Ventures Scholars Program
www.venturescholar.org

Additional Resources:

Score! Educational Centers
www.escore.com

Higher Learning for Minority Students
www.msoyonline.com/theezine/higherlearning.htm

About the Author:
This article is an excerpt of A Better Today Brings a Brighter Tomorrow, (abt.msoyonline.com) a resource guide for African American parents, self-published by LaShanda Henry. Visit www.lulu.com/msoy to purchase a copy of this book or email lhenry@msoyonline.com for details.

© LaShanda Henry 2007

NOTE: You are welcome to forward or “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “about the author” info at the end and the copyright notice), and you send a copy of your reprint to lhenry@msoyonline.com.

Please visit Multiple Shades of You Online, a premier website for African American weblinks, news, and information. Also take a look at the Search Urban Directory, submit your website.

Multiple Shades of You
Black Content for Black People
www.msoyonline.com

-lhenry [msoy founder]

A Better Today A Brighter Tomorrow Launches New Website
March 14, 2005 - Multiple Shades of You Online expanded the scope of its mission to include A Better Today A Brighter Tomorrow, a community outreach project focused on improving the quality of life for low incoming families by exposing disadvantaged minority students to the existence of community organizations which promote and implement: After school tutoring, Pre-college preparation, Mentoring, Talent development, Summer opportunities, and Career training.

Lil' Bits Onlineis an entertaining children's site featuring games, links, and resources for African American parents.

Here is a small preview of what Lil Bit's has to offer:

Nonstop Entertainment The fun doesn't have to stop with the Lil' Bits Gang. Visit our friends for more activities. There is a whole world of friendly facesout there; from pbskids, nickjr, babyGirlz, and disney just to name a few. So get clicking and enjoy!

By Lolly Bowean, Tribune staff reporter. Freelance writer Brian Cox contributed to this report
Published February 15, 2006

Evanston-Skokie district's proposal targets achievement gap between blacks and whites

Hoping to better capture the attention of African-Americans and close the achievement gap between black and white students, a group of parents and educators is pushing for adoption of an African-centered curriculum in Evanston/Skokie School District 65.

The curriculum would keep state-required core subjects such as reading, language arts and math but include the history and culture of Africans and African-Americans in daily school lessons.

But while parents and educators across the district of 6,755 pupils agree that the achievement gap has to be closed, some voiced concern at a school board committee meeting this week that the proposal could further segregate the schools in a district that prides itself on diversity.

Supporters urged board members to launch a pilot program in kindergarten through 2nd grades at two elementary schools where almost half of the pupils are African-American. The program could start in the fall, though the school board has yet to vote on it.

If approved, the initiative would be rare for a suburban school district, according to experts, who say that Afrocentric courses are more common in urban schools with majority black populations.

What troubles school board member Jonathan Baum, who led Monday's committee meeting, is "how do we explain this to our children?"

Martin Luther King Jr. brought blacks and whites together, and the Afrocentric curriculum could mean that students would be separated based on race, because whites and Latinos may opt out of the classes, Baum said.

The idea behind Afrocentric curriculum is that the lessons focus on black students and, in addition to teaching them basic skills, build their self-esteem and confidence, said Cheryl Ajirotutu, an anthropology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who is co-author of the book "African-Centered Schooling in Theory and Practice."

There is no standardized national or state curriculum; each district or school crafts its own teaching plan. The curriculum proposed for Evanston schools hasn't been developed yet.

In District 65, where about 44 percent of pupils are African-American, educators have tried techniques to bridge the achievement gap, but scores still reflect a divide.

Former school board member Terri Shepard, who now heads the curriculum panel for the African-American Student Achievement Committee, has monitored test scores for 20 years.

While 94 percent of white pupils in District 65 met or exceeded standards for 3rd-grade reading, only 47 percent of black pupils did, according to the latest Illinois State Achievement Tests. In 3rd-grade math, 96 percent of white pupils met or exceeded standards, and 69 percent of black pupils met standards.

"We all say we support diversity," she said. "For that reason, we want all the kids sitting together. But the statistics show having all the kids in the same room has not benefited students of color. Why not give these kids a chance to thrive?"

Schools with culture-based curriculums have become popular in major cities where blacks are in the majority of the public school population, such as Pittsburgh and Milwaukee, Ajirotuto said.

Now, "other school districts are wondering how do you turn the tide of school failure."

In Evanston, supporters, including the NAACP, have researched the topic for a few months, and although they have a general idea how the curriculum would look, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. They include who would be in charge of the program, how much it would cost and what effect would it have on the racial make-up of general-education classes in the district.

When Shepard visited Woodlawn Community School, a Chicago public school, she was impressed that state test scores have climbed since 2001.

"I always believed the reason white children achieved is because everything was for and about them," she said. "There was nothing that showed a child of color at the center. With an African-centered curriculum, the kids see themselves everywhere."

But there's no proof that the concept actually works, said Harvard University's Ron Ferguson, who teaches and writes about educational issues.

"It's not something to be afraid of or terribly enthusiastic about," he said. "They are groping for a way to get black kids engaged academically. If you get some charismatic teachers on board, you may get results. But those same charismatic teachers might try another technique and it would work too."

The subject is touchy in Evanston because schools there have been integrated since the early 1950s--before Brown vs. Board of Education desegregated the nation's public schools--and district officials have been careful to try to make sure all schools are diverse.

And though the pilot program would be implemented at Oakton Elementary School, which is 49 percent black, and Kingsley, which is 41 percent black, it could be divisive if only African-Americans volunteer for the program, according to some at Monday's meeting.

Baum, of the school board, questioned whether it was a good idea to start another experimental program at Oakton, which has an immersion program for Spanish-speaking pupils.

"I'm not saying [the curriculum] would not be a good choice for Oakton School, but there has to be a design that is a choice for everyone," said Candace Hill, co-president of the school PTA.

Chante Latimore, who supports the proposal, said that when she asks her 5-year-old daughter what she learned in class that day, she gets the same answer: "Nothin'."

Except during Black History Month in February, when Cheyenne Buford's eyes open wide as she tells her mother about Martin Luther King and Maya Angelou. "Then she remembers everything she learns," Latimore said.

She believes an African-centered curriculum would have that effect all year long.

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Copyright © 2006, Chicago Tribune