Four Chicago-Area Teens Selected to Participate in Mentoring Trip to Disney Dreamers Academy
Four Chicago-area teens are among the 100 extraordinary youths from across the nation announced by Disney to participate in its immersive, transformational four-day program, March 8-11, at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
The program, which is entering its 11th year with a new “Be100’’ campaign, and is hosted by entertainer Steve Harvey and ESSENCE Magazine, highlights Walt Disney World Resort’s continued commitment to the next generation of teens by inspiring them at a critical time in their development to make a difference in their lives and to relentlessly pursue and realize their dreams.
“Each of these 100 girls and boys has proven themselves to be exceptional as students and as human beings, so it’s an honor to have them join us at Walt Disney World Resort,’’ said Tracey D. Powell, Walt Disney World Resort vice president of commercial management – resorts and Disney Dreamers Academy executive champion. “It is our hope that this potentially life-changing program will help create the next generation of great dreamers and achievers.’’
Participating students, known as “Disney Dreamers,” embark on a journey throughout the Disney theme parks and behind the scenes, turning the vacation destination into a vibrant classroom for students to discover new careers, pursue their dreams and interact with Harvey and other motivational speakers and celebrities. Among the celebrities who have participated in the past are singers Patti LaBelle and Mary J. Blige, NBA legend and business mogul Magic Johnson, gospel music star Yolanda Adams, NFL superstar Cam Newton, plus TV personalities such as “The Chew’’ co-host Carla Hall, “Good Morning America’’ co-anchor Michael Strahan and ABC correspondent T.J. Holmes.
Additionally, students participate in hands-on, immersive career-oriented workshops, ranging from animation to zoology. Each student is given important tools such as effective communication techniques, leadership skills and networking strategies.
“Inspiring our youth to dream big and chase those dreams is a personal mission,” said Harvey. “Having a dream is one of the most important things in life. That is why engaging with these students is an annual highlight for me, and the 2018 Disney Dreamers Academy will be no exception.”
The four Chicago-area students are: Mariah Barnett from Aurora; Tabitha Willis from Country Club Hills; Tamela Trimuel from Harvey and Jayvion Rice from Riverdale.
Since 2008, Walt Disney World Resort has provided all-expenses-paid trips to more than 1,000 students, plus a parent or guardian, to participate in the annual Dreamers Academy. The students are selected from thousands of applicants who answered a series of essay questions about their personal stories and dreams for the future.
“At ESSENCE, we are committed to impacting the leaders of tomorrow,” said Michelle Ebanks, president of ESSENCE Communications. “Every year, we continue to be impressed by the exceptional students selected for Disney Dreamers Academy, and it is our privilege to play a role in encouraging them to achieve their goals.’’
GREENE COUNTY DEMOCRAT — A cold morning brought rays of sunshine this past Monday, February 6, 2018, to Alabama – along with more than 30 states plus Washington D.C. – helping roll out the National Poor People’s Campaign.
Initiated by Rev. William Barber of North Carolina, leader of the ‘Moral Monday Movement’, this grassroots movement already has feet beginning to march across the nation in an effort to uplift human dignity.
On the steps in front of the state capitol in Montgomery, a non-denominational, non-partisan group of some 50 people gathered.
A podium was erected and a PA system sprung to life with the introduction of speakers including: Rev.Tonny Algood, United Methodist Inner City Mission, Mobile, Rev.Carolyn Foster, Greater Birmingham Ministries, Birmingham., Rev.James Rutledge, AME Zion Church, Birmingham., Imam Abdur Rahim Sabree, Muslim Center of Montgomery, Natividad Gonzalez, Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ) Organizer, Birmingham – War Economy, Wanda, Bryant, Community Activist, Birmingham.- Poverty, Jelanie Coleman, Night of 1, Selma. Common threads were the reality of the level of poverty existing in our country today and the ills that have been perpetuated and increased as the result of being ignored for decades. The talks were to the point, addressing the issues of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy and ecological devastation, all hot topics for the Campaign.
Like all other Poor Peoples Campaigns around the nation in their own capitols, Alabama’s delegation delivered letters to both branches of the Legislature, House Speaker Mac McCutcheon, R-Monrovia, and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh, R-Anniston.
Campaign organizers Tonny Algood and Cara McClure delivered the letters to the legislators.
The letter read in part, “We demand a change in course… Our faith traditions and federal constitution all testify to the immorality of an economy that leaves out the poor, yet our political discourses consistently ignore the 140 million poor and low-income people in America.”
The letters also made clear that unless direct actions are taken immediately to address these chronic problems, there would be visible consequences in the way of a massive wave of Nonviolent Civil Disobedience, that the Poor People’s Campaign will initiate on Mother’s Day, May 12, 2018 and continuing for forty days.
This Poor People’s Campaign and National Call for Moral Revival will sweep the nation this spring, including Alabama if the conditions of poor people are not radically changed. In the words of Carolyn Foster, chair of the state PPC committee, “We have come to say clearly that a politics that ignores the poor has gone on far too long, and we will not be silent anymore.”
For more information and how to get involved go to:
CHICAGO CRUSADER — Gary has lost the greatest amount of its school-aged students to private schools, according to a recent report by the Indiana Department of Education.
The report used data from the start of the 2017-2018 school year. It includes all public schools in Lake County. The report shows most districts lost students to private charter schools, but the district with the greatest loss is Gary. While a majority of students still attend public schools in neighboring cities, Gary students are leaving a district that’s mired in debt and low academic achievement.
This is the first year the department conducted the report.
According to the report, the city had 12,032 school-aged children in the fall, but only 4,681 or 39 percent attended the Gary Community Schools. About 61 percent or 7,354 students attended other schools. Of that amount some 5,466 of those students or 45.4 percent are in charter schools and 1,266 or 10.5 percent are attending public schools outside the city, while 578 attend private schools through state vouchers.
Gary’s biggest enrollment losses stem from elementary schools. Gary has not had a middle school since 2016 when the Williams Annex closed. To boost enrollment, Emergency Manager Peggy Hinckley is exploring the possibility of bringing back a middle school.
The state took over Gary’s public schools after the majority of the district scored an F grade on the Indiana Accountability Report. With over $100 million in debt, Hinckley was given full control to make academic and financial decisions to turn- around the district.
Elsewhere, in East Chicago only 988 of the city’s 5,329 students are in public charter schools and 367 attend private charter schools, according to the report. Approximately 70 percent (3,721) of the 5,329 children who attend school in East Chicago’s public School City District.
The report shows Hammond’s public school system is still preferred over public and private charter schools.
More than 85 percent (12,416) of Hammond’s 14,521 school-aged students remain in the city’s public schools. Approximately 2,109 students attend other schools, but of that group, only 926 are enrolled in a private school through a state voucher. Approximately 809 attend a public charter school.
Of all the school districts in Lake County, Munster and Lake Central had the highest percentage of students in public schools with 98 percent and 97 percent, respectively.
Other cities in Lake County show public districts are keeping a majority of their students. They include River Forest (97 percent), Crown Point (96.7), Tri-Creek (96 percent), Highland Creek (96 percent), Hanover (93.9 percent), Hobart (93.9 percent), Griffith (92.6 percent), Lake Ridge (91.9 percent), Lake Station (81 percent), Merrillville (89 percent), Whiting (88.6 percent).
Public schools in cities in Portage County have also kept a high majority of their students.
“We are pleased to compile and release the 2017-2018 transfer report, providing our schools with even more insight into the individual students they serve,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick said in a statement. “Having a great understanding of every aspect of our local districts will allow our educators to make important decisions and better plans.”
Where you send your child toschool is one of the most important decisions you can make.
The new school quality data released by the state shows several public schools making great progress with Oakland children.
But before I get to the schools showing the most progress, let me offer a disclaimer.
No number can fully capture a school’s story of success. So take these insights as starting points and do your homework.
Now is the time to research and apply to schools in open enrollment.
All of the information below can be found on the Oakland Unified School District’s website.
We have never had more options, easier ways to enroll, or more information about schools, so we need make the best choices we can.
Check out this list of schools making significant gains in English language arts, math and graduation rates, as well as those that stand out for serving Black and Latino* students exceptionally well:
Elementary schools gaining in math and English
Aspire Monarch*
Francophone Charter school
Madison Park*
Manzanita SEED
Glenview
Middle Schools gaining in math and English
West Oakland Middle School+
American Indian Public Charter+
Claremont*
Epic Charter*
Oakland Charter *
K-8 Schools gaining in math and English
Greenleaf*
Ascend*
Melrose
American Indian Model School+
Hillcrest+
6-12 Schools gaining in math and English
Coliseum College Prep*
Aspire Golden State*
Aspire Lionel Wilson*
Madison Park*
Bay Area Technology Prep+
High Schools with academic gains and increasing graduation rates
MetWest*+
Leadership Public Schools R and D
ARISE*
Oakland Charter High*
Envision*+
Knowledge is power. So take advantage of your options and the information available. There are still enrollment fairs coming up from OUSD and Enroll Oakland before the enrollment deadlines. Your children are counting on you to do the best by them, and that starts with making informed choices.
THE CHAMPION NEWSPAPER — The Fernbank Museum of Natural History is ready to provide a number of educational opportunities for children in the new year.
The first new temporary exhibit for the new year will be A Secret World Inside You. Fernbank Public Relations Specialist Kayla Rumpfeldt told The Champion the exhibit is from the American Museum of Natural History, and will use videos, larger-than-life models, and interactive games to investigate the cutting-edge science of the human microbiome and to offer a new perspective on human health. It begins Feb. 10.
In the meantime, museum-goers can experience a variety of permanent exhibits. Wildwoods and the Fernbank Forest offer 75 acres of outdoor area to be explored with activities spread throughout. Nature Stories (for young children) and Adventure Outpost (for preteens) include immersive interactive exhibits.
Special trailside experiences, including a sensory wall, animal tracks and tree molds help visitors experience nature up close. There are also educator-led nature walks through a variety of native plants, flowers and wildlife.
According to Rumpfelt, Wildwoods was installed in 2016 on top of the existing, unaltered landscape outside the museum and designed to be as non-intrusive as possible to keep the grounds as close to true nature as can be.
Through Wildwoods, explorers can access the Fernbank Forest—65 acres of mature mixed forest that has one of the few remnants of original forest vegetation in the Georgia Piedmont. Self-guided tours are welcome through the two miles of trails snaking through a canopy of trees that measures more than 16 stories above the ground. Educator-guided tours are offered one or two times a month.
Inside the museum is NatureQuest, an interactive permanent exhibit that includes a multi-level clubhouse, hands-on activities and live animal displays. According to Rumpfelt, activities such as a virtual waterfall and an interactive red oak tree are designed to give students a true-to-life nature experience without having to go outside.
A Walk Through Time In Georgia allows visitors to explore the natural history of Georgia through lifelike historic recreations of geographic regions. Highlights include a dinosaur gallery, a giant sloth, a cave, and the sights and sounds of the Okefenokee Swamp.
Reflections of Culture helps museum-goers learn how people around the world communicate information about themselves through forms of personal adornment. It includes a collection of photographs, costumes, jewelry, footwear, headdresses and masks.
According to the Fernbank website, other permanent exhibits include Sensing Nature—an interactive, sensory-based exhibit aimed at young children. It includes lasers, mirrors, water and sounds designed to demonstrate the role senses play in interpreting the environment.
World of Shells includes a variety of shells collected from the Georgia coast and explains how shell material is formed, the numerous ways animals use their shells and the life processes of shelled animals.
And inside the museum’s Great Hall is Giants of the Mesozoic, including life-size fossil-cast recreations of dinosaurs. This exhibit includes fossils of Argentinosaurus, Giganotosaurus, Pterodaustro and Anhanguera for visitors to enjoy.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History is open daily. Tickets can be purchased from the website, fernbankmuseum.org.
THE CHAMPION — More than 85 percent of black male fourth-graders in the United States are not proficient in reading, according to the 2013 U.S. Department of Education Nation’s Report Card. A program recently instituted by the DeKalb County Public Library (DCPL) will attempt improve that number by bringing books into the barbershop.
Barbershop Books is a national program designed to bring books written for children ages 4 to 8 into barbershops so they can begin to identify as readers.
DCPL is the first Barbershop Books sponsor in Georgia and has one barbershop—ITNOJ Barbershop in Scottdale—on board as a host site. And DCPL is doing everything it can to make the program a success.
“We wanted our barbershops to just be a host site, and we would take care of everything else. So we purchased the bookshelf and we also purchased the books that go on the shelf,” Teresa Totten, DCPL adult programming and services coordinator told The Champion. “Going forward, whenever they need to replenish the shelf with books, that’s our job.”
Why would the shelf need replenishing? Because the library is allowing readers who like a particular book to keep it.
“If they see a book, if they pick up a book and they really love that book, we told the shop owner to let them have it,” Totten said.
ITNOJ Barbershop owner Todd Cofield told The Champion the program has been well-received in his shop.
A small shelf sitting along the wall next to the barber chair inside ITNOJ has books aimed at elementary school-aged children, but both Totten and Cofield want to see the program grow beyond its intended limits.
“We expanded [the age range],” Totten said. “We want to cover zero to adult, because we really want to encourage everyone to read. We also tell adults, if you’ve got a little one with you who’s not at an age where they can read yet, read to them. We just want to create that space of community reading in the barbershop.”
Cofield, who grew up in a house with six siblings who all read together as a family, knows the power of reading. He wants to encourage a sense of a reading-based community in his shop. He said he hopes to soon have a larger shelf of books aimed at children of all ages, and add computer terminals, so school-age children can do research and work on homework.
“I want this to be a place where anyone can come and learn and grow,” he said.
And Cofield’s ambition has the full support of DCPL. Though the library won’t be involved in anything outside of providing books for the shelf, it’s already working to provide books for older audiences and has plans to expand the program to three more DeKalb County barbershops by the end of January.
DCPL also has the full backing of the DeKalb County Library Foundation for any funding it may need to grow the program as large as it can become.
“We’re gonna start with just the four locations and see what the demand is,” Totten said.
DCPL will work with host sites to track frequency of replenishments, specific demands for books and other feedback from children and parents who use the program to try to hone it to the specific audience in DeKalb County as much as possible.
“We’re also thinking we might want to have at least one location in a salon,” Totten said. “We want our little girls to read too.”
Totten said she hopes to launch a salon location in the first quarter of this year, possibly as early as February.
Cofield hopes the program expands into all areas of DeKalb County.
“Most people want to raise their children and they want to do right,” he said. “We’re really the same people raised with different belief systems, but morally, we want to do the same thing.”
Though he sees the goals as congruent, he said there aren’t enough people in his community willing to take matters into their own hands to make those goals a reality. He hopes Barbershop Books can be one tool to change that.
“Especially in the African-American community, we wait on the church to do stuff for us,” he said. “But we’ve got to be the church. We’ve got to make the change come. And the first thing you need for change is knowledge. You need knowledge.”
The Rex organization, which is best known for tossing beads, go-cups and doubloons as it parades on Mardi Gras, gave out much more valuable prizes on Saturday (Jan. 13) — grants totaling $1 million to 63 local education-related organizations.
The awards, which ranged from $1,500 to $60,000, came from the Pro Bono Publico Foundation, which the Rex organization formed after Hurricane Katrina to help rebuild the education system in the New Orleans area. The name comes from the krewe’s motto, which, in English, means “For the Public Good.” The money comes from Rex members as well as nonmembers, said Dr. Stephen Hales, a founding member of the foundation’s board.
“I’m proud to be a recipient,” said Julia Walker, chairwoman of the development committee of New Orleans College Prep, a charter-school operator that was given $30,000 for three schools.
“I don’t think there’s another organization in town that does so much for the charter schools,” Walker said.
Parents of students at Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate (KSBE) students received an email from Vice President of Education Dr. Holoua Stender, notifying them of new graduation requirements that would begin with the class of 2022.
A new set of unified high school graduation requirements for all three campuses was recently approved by the Kamehameha Schools Board of Trustees. These new requirements will enable Kamehameha Schools students across the three campuses to have access to comparable and consistent educational experiences, founded on the achievement of the E Ola. Learner Outcomes which will assist each student to grow toward realizing his/her full potential as good and industrious global citizens and servant leaders.
“I am sincerely grateful to nā Poʻo Kumu (principals) and nā Poʻo Kula (headmasters) from Hawai‘i, Kapālama and Maui for their incredible work in creating our first-ever set of Kamehameha Schools graduation requirements beginning with the class of 2022,” said Education Vice President Dr. Holoua Stender.
The new graduation requirements will begin with next year’s incoming freshmen class (2022). Students in the classes of 2021, 2020 and 2019 will continue to follow the requirements set forth prior to the new tri-campus graduation requirements.
The new requirements are categorized into three areas:
Nā Papa ‘Ikoi (core courses)
Nā Papa Mauli (electives)
Nā Mauli Hiwa (non-credit courses).
*Language requirement includes two years of Hawaiian language (Hawaiian 1 and Hawaiian 2). Students who pass a tri-campus proficiency test for Hawaiian 1 may earn placement in Hawaiian 2. Students who pass a tri-campus proficiency test for Hawaiian 2 may earn placement in Hawaiian 3. Students who attain proficiency in Hawaiian 2 via assessment, or by completing the Hawaiian 2 course, may choose to enroll in Hawaiian, or another language (e.g., Japanese, Spanish, etc.) and complete at least two years of their selected language to fulfill the language requirement.
As a part of Nā Papa ‘Ikoi and Nā Papa Mauli, students will earn 26 core and elective credits. In addition, all students will be required to take two years of ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i (Hawaiian language).
Stender stated:
“This emphasis on ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi conveys Kamehameha’s commitment to cultivating a strong Hawaiian identity, which we believe provides a competitive advantage for our haumāna and graduates.
For the Nā Mauli Hiwa requirement, students will participate in school-based activities which foster character development, cultural identity, college and career readiness, safety, health and well-being, and servant leadership. A notable component in this new educational experience is a culminating senior capstone project demonstrating how E Ola! Learner Outcomes become embodied in student-centered, personalized projects which enable haumāna to become local and global leaders, who are culturally engaged and play significant roles in creating strong ʻohana and communities throughout ka pae ʻāina o Hawai`i and beyond.
The approved requirements align Kamehameha to other independent schools, while also acknowledging emerging trends in college acceptance requirements. As haumāna explore their options for college and career, they will be confident knowing that Kamehameha Schools has prepared them with rigorous and relevant courses of study. Haumāna wil be equipped with skills, knowledge and values through our Hawaiian culture-based program of study which will prepare them with a unique growth mindset for learning and leadership in the complex global society of today.
Our kumu, administrators and operations staff continue to put their hearts and souls into creating wonderful and enriching educational experiences for your keiki. As always, I am grateful for their dedication to our haumāna and to all of you, for fulfilling the sacred mission that Ke Ali‘i Pauahi set forth for us 130 years ago.
Our campus staff will continue to discuss and review these new graduation requirements among their colleagues, department heads, and campus leaders, and will work diligently to prepare our haumāna as we take this important step forward.
More information will be forthcoming about the Hawaiian language proficiency assessment for incoming freshmen and their senior capstone project. This information will be sent out by your student’s campus. The new requirements and frequently asked questions are available online if you would like to see more. If you have other questions about the new requirements, please call your son’s/daughter’s counselor or the high school principal’s office.”
The Birmingham Times — Freedom School is a six-week enrichment program in June to address the summer slide in school-aged students. Summer slide is the tendency for children, particularly those from low-income families, to lose the achievement gains they made during the previous school year over the summer.
“If you can imagine a low-income child, once the summer starts, if their parents don’t have the means or the time to expose them to anything that will continue the educational process that was started in the school year, then what happens is the summer slide,” said Van Moody, lead pastor at The Worship Center.
The Children’s Defense Fund is a nonprofit organization that focuses on child advocacy and research. It was founded in 1973 by Marian Wright Edelman.
The program is free for families, and the goal is to build “empowered, literate and forward-thinking children who will gain the confidence to make an impact in their families and communities,” Moody said.
Students will reinforce skills learned during the school year with a focus on literacy and reading comprehension during the programs, which is geared toward low-income families, Moody said.
A child can lose half a grade level every summer if affected by the summer slide, Moody said.
He provided another example: “If you take a child from kindergarten through fifth grade, and each summer they lose half a grade level … by the time they get to fifth grade, they’re 2 ½ to 3 years behind their middle-income contemporaries. It gets worse as they continue to grow,” he said.
Literacy is a focus because it’s the foundation of all education, “particularly for kids; everything builds on literacy,” Moody said. “There are a number of summer programs and programs that take the (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) STEM approach, and different disciplines, but one of the things about Freedom Schools, and one of the reasons I think they’ve had the kind of success they’ve had, is the focus on the foundational building blocks. If we can increase the literacy rate of kids, then everything becomes easier for them.”
A Day at a Freedom School
Along with literacy, reading is a component of the first half of the day in Freedom Schools where someone from the community visits. “We’ll invite the mayor, superintendent, business leaders . . . to read to them in a session called Harambe, when we bring all the students together before they break into their individual classes.”
Students can take home the books read during the day to build their personal library.
Charles A. Smith Photography
“The books are specifically picked out and chosen for their specific ages and demographics,” Moody said. “Depending on a normal school year, students may have to read the classics, or books that don’t really connect to their reality . . . the books are profound, but they are intentionally designed for low-income kids.”
The second part of the day is dedicated to different activities and interests, he said.
“Kids will be exposed to things like Chess Club and field trips to the McWane Science Center, and things that are a little bit in the scope of traditional summer programs but it’s a great balance,” he said.
The program is usually for kindergarten through high school, but in its first year, it will be available for first through fifth grade. “We want to build some success with that and build additional grade levels,” Moody said.
The program is funded by The Worship Center in its first year, but Moody said he hopes more community will be involved in the upcoming years.
“Our ultimate design is not to have just one Freedom School in the city, but we want to have multiple Freedom Schools available throughout the city. When you look at the hurdles that are in front of the public school system, we know that 50
kids, which is the max capacity of one Freedom School, are really just a drop in the bucket, compared to the need in the city.”
GREENE COUNTY DEMOCRAT — Prior to the opening of its regular meeting on December 18, 2017, the Greene County Board of Education, along with a community gathering, was entertained with a special Christmas presentation by students enrolled in the after school programs of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Students from Eutaw Primary School and Robert Brown Middle School presented dance ensembles, poetry and Christmas Caroling. The event culminated with the lighting of the Christmas tree and the appearance of a jolly “Santa.” The students were presented gifts and refreshments.
In his monthly report, Superintendent James Carter emphasized the system’s continuing goal to improving academic performance for all students. “School principals and teachers must be held accountable for closing the achievement gap. Our focus must shift now on recruiting and retaining talented principals and teacher, a task that is very challenging,” he stated.
Dr. Carter explained that if we are to improve academic performance for all students, there must be a shift in how we teach our students. “School classrooms must be re-designed to meet the needs of students in the 21st Century. We can’t continue to place students in classrooms where all they see is the back of another student’s head. Each school must create a team of leaders to manage instructional programs,” he said.
In his update on the system’s school property, Carter announced that, to date, he has received five offers on the purchase of the former Carver School and two offers on the former Paramount School.
In other business, the board approved the following personnel items recommended by the superintendent.
Resignation of Rebecca Coleman from the 21st Century Community Learning Center.
Employment of Dorothy Powell, Jacqueline and Latasha Harris as Bus Aides.
Employment of Latoya Consentine as substitute bus driver.
Additional service contract at Robert Brown Middle School for 2017-18 academic year (separate contracts): Janice Jeames as Assistant Girls Basketball Coach.
Additional service contract at Greene County High for academic year 2017-18 (separate contract) Jason Booth as Assistance Baseball Coach; Fentress Means as assistance Basketball Coach.
Administrative services approved by the board include the following.
Worthless Check Policy;
Uncollectible Meal Charge Policy.
Field Trip requests: Greene County High to Dollywood, TN, April 20, 2018; Robert Brown Middle to National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis, TN; Robber Brown Middle to Education Day at Six Flags Over Georgia, April 27, 2018.
The following instructional items were approved by the board.
Voluntary Religious Expression Policy
21st Century Community Learning Centers Staff Handbook
21st Century Community Learning Centers Parent Handbook
On the recommendation of the superintendent, the board approved the following waiver:
The Greene County Board of Education hereby waives any potential conflicts that Henry Sanders, Attorney at Law, may have in representing the Greene County Board of Education and the Greene County Commission in matters in general and specifically relating to Resource Officers for schools and/or the sale of Carver School.
By Elaine Hegwood Bowen, M.S.J., Chicago Crusader
Barbershop Books is a national program designed to bring books written for children ages 4 to 8 into barbershops so they can begin to identify as readers.
Cofield, who grew up in a house with six siblings who all read together as a family, knows the power of reading. He wants to encourage a sense of a reading-based community in his shop. He said he hopes to soon have a larger shelf of books aimed at children of all ages, and add computer terminals, so school-age children can do research and work on homework.
By Ariel Worthy
