The week of October 12 is going to be different this year. For an entire week, the eyes of Stark County citizens will turn to schools and youth.
The spotlight will shine on students and teachers, youth organizations and schools that are flourishing, that use their strengths to accomplish great things, and to make a difference in their communities.
PCC is co-sponsoring with the Stark County Educational Service Center an event that is not like anything Stark County has seen before. Students, teachers, community leaders, parents, and visitors from near and far will convene conversations about excellence.
- October 12 and 16 will be devoted to field site visits around Stark County and northeast Ohio
- October 13 is the celebration kick-off at the new and beautiful GlenOak High School in Plain Local Schools
- October 14 will be at the Timken Senior High School Campus, where students’ graduation rates and achievement are leaping upward
- October 15 will be at Stark State College, a day to congratulate local schools of higher education for their many contributions to our community and our young people
Sound intriguing? We hope so!
If you’re from Stark County, we need you, your students and staff to help finalize our plans, nominate your outstanding programs, and to come join us as we explore teaching and learning in hands on, intergenerational groups. It will be fun, join us – you’ll be glad you did!
And to those of you elsewhere in the world, please “Watch This Space”.
We’ll be posting some updates to share our journey with you between now and October – and we know we’ll have lots of news to share with you after the event!
Voices Of Learners Registration Form
Please email Joyce Lemke or call her on 330-705-0793 if you you have any questions or would like further information.
Notes from Day One
Voices of Learning
Canton Ohio October 12, 2009
Our first scheduled VOL event was a meeting with The Southeast Community Chapter of the Investment Club.
Mrs. D’Jauana Philpott is the teen librarian at the Coleman South East Community Center. For years young people who used the library at the community center would ask her for money, “Please can we have a dime or a quarter?” was a frequent request.
This got the librarian thinking about her own childhood experiences. Her Mom and Dad gave allowances that were attached to a set of required chores. There was also a list of jobs around the house with a fee for services schedule. “We wanted to get candy and I wanted clothes for Barbies. Dad said we had to put the money in the bank. “I’d rather have you disappointed now than disappointed later”, he said.
When D’Jauana Philpott saw the opportunity for developing economic literacy in teens she decided to do something. This was the birth of the Investment Club. The focus is twofold: entrepreneurship (making money , business skills); and Investment (growing money in savings, CD and money market accounts).
Meeting Mrs. Philpott and eight of her investment club members was a lesson in respect, pride, sense of purpose and professionalism. Ray Lewis, a Canton businessman, characterized the afternoon as “ageless respect”.
The young people described their history with the investment club and their business experience. One young woman, a Timken high schooler, talked of the Investment club as preparing her to be in business. She has been part of a fashion business (designing tee shirts) and cooking classes. She said, “If I start at a young age I will know what to do when I finish college”. Lee Anne expects go to a fashion institute or a culinary school after she finishes her degree. She is enrolled in the award winning Early College High School which means she will graduate with a high school diploma and an Associates degree.
More about this program later this week.
“We act mature for our age”, said another young investment club member.
Mrs. Wanda Young of the Kiwanis Club of Canton described the strong supportive relationship between Kiwanis and the Investment Club. She also previewed a manual she is developing of the outstanding workshops that she has been offering to the club members.
Wanda Young describes this outstanding program as “Ordinary kids doing extraordinary things”. These extraordinary ordinary young people were asked to describe Mrs. Philpott. They called their advisor caring, funny, kind, nice, helpful, thoughtful and generous.
For eleven years Mrs Philpott has volunteered to support economic literacy in Canton. These young people made the choice to make and save money. They choose to invest in themselves because Mrs Philpott invests in them.
We had a great first day. More tomorrow.