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Launched in the fall of 2007, the Junior League of Baltimore is building bridges between parents, teachers, administrators, students, and the community by connecting these groups to help students achieve their greatest academic potential. The School-Parental Engagement Project (SPEP) was created by the Junior League after thorough research established that such a program would help increase parental involvement as well as improve children's academic performance in the Baltimore City Public School System.
Govans Elementary School, located in our target neighborhood, serves as the pilot site. Elementary school students represent an age group that has historically yielded the best success rates: studies indicate the earlier the intervention, the better the chances to affect positive change.
SPEP aims to:
1) Build partnerships and support for educators via the creation of programs that reward students' attendance, behavior and homework completion
2) Educate parents, many of whom have had a negative experience in the education system, about the power they have to impact their child's success. Teach parents the basics of engaging in educational activities with their children and creating a home environment which supports the educational process.
Junior League of Baltimore members work closely with parents and teachers to create the organizational structure for a Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) at Govans Elementary School. Specifically, League members assist parents in understanding the purpose and benefits of a PTO, assist with planning and hosting both monthly as well as quarterly programs focused on building parental engagement and involvement in their children's education. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a self-sufficient parent teacher organization which will then be used as a model for jump starting parental engagement programs in other Baltimore City Schools.
Building a Sustainable PTO
Teacher Engagement: Building relationships with the faculty and supporting their needs related to parent interactions.- Structure: Assist with development of meeting agendas, communicating meeting dates and times, ordering food for meetings.
- Fundraising: Helping the PTO to set up Giant Bonus Dollars of Boxtops for Education program
SPEP helps educators help students better realize their potentials by bringing in the often missing parts of the equation: parents.
Linda Taylor, Principal of Govans Elementary School reflects on the impact of the first year of the Student Parent Engagement Project by saying, "Teachers did not feel alone during this past year. They became totally involved with the PTO and more excited about being a part of the team with the Junior League. They felt the support of the Junior League and the community involvement. The Junior League is helping us to move forward bringing our parents and community together to support our students and in turn our school. We want to get to the point where parents and community see the value of their involvement, increase in the number of participants and quality of participation, and know what is needed and how to do it."
School Parental-Engagement Project has been made possible through the generous support from Proctor and Gamble and Thomas Wilson Sanitarium for Children in Baltimore City.
