Violent neighborhoods and low-performing schools continue to devastate young, low-income, African-American men and their families, despite individual and family use of kin and peer network navigation strategies. To learn more, interviews were conducted with 40 young African-American men, ages 18 to 22, from Baltimore City enrolled in a general equivalency diploma (GED) and job training program, and analyzed with modified grounded theory. Young men identified unsafe neighborhoods, chaotic schools, and disengaged teaching. Young men used safety and success strategies such as avoiding trouble and selecting positive peers to navigate unsafe environments. African-American families utilized kin network strategies such as messaging and modeling success, and mobilization for safety. Limits of unrecognized and unsupported strategies were related to: mobilization, limited educational partnership, and disproportionate family loss. Results indicate the continued urgent need for: (1) targeted violence reduction in high-violence neighborhoods, (2) calm and effective learning environments, (3) higher ratios of teachers to students to reduce chaos and improve learning, and (4) genuine teacher partnerships with families to improve access to positive role models, academic supports, and positive peer network development.
This chapter outlines the initial findings of Project EXCEL, a collaborative partnership that explores how institutions of higher education (IHEs) can better serve surrounding communities and schools seeking to enhance and diversify the teacher education population. The possibilities for teachers, teacher candidates, and partnerships in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and the surrounding metropolitan areas show the next steps for Project EXCEL. The findings serve as an opportunity for other IHEs to consider for partnerships and recruitment.
This chapter outlines the initial findings of Project EXCEL, a collaborative partnership that explores how institutions of higher education (IHEs) can better serve surrounding communities and schools seeking to enhance and diversify the teacher education population. The possibilities for teachers, teacher candidates, and partnerships in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and the surrounding metropolitan areas show the next steps for Project EXCEL. The findings serve as an opportunity for other IHEs to consider for partnerships and recruitment.
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