The “It Takes a Village” celebration and community conversation about Hill District education came about as a result of a collaborative effort between state Rep. Jake Wheatley’s office, the Hill District Education Council, A+ Schools and the office of City Councilman Daniel Lavelle.
The “It Takes a Village” concept stemmed from the old saying, “It Takes A Village To Raise A Child,” meaning there is a need for the community to work together in the act of raising our youth.
Prominent members of the Hill District understand that action must be had to better the lives of our young people, Wheatley said.
“Well over 100 students, parents, teachers, community members and community advocates were in attendance at the event,” He added. “The room was packed to near-capacity.
On Jan. 8, the “It Takes a Village” celebration and conversation about Hill District education was held at the Jeron X. Grayson Community Center. A light dinner was served, child care was provided to families during the event, and awards were distributed to teachers and students during the celebration.
Event attendee Karin Hayes said, “It brought an overwhelming feeling of joy to see so many Black faces gathered to celebrate education. Education is a topic that needs to be discussed more amongst our young people, and those who are excelling in their academics deserve to be celebrated. Education is the key to success.”
The event received its title because it was meant to bring all sectors of the community together to pledge to work collectively to improve the quality of education for Hill District students. There was a need to celebrate some of the successful work taking place within the Hill District schools (faith-based, traditional public, and non traditional public), examine the data about what is taking place inside the classrooms, and hear directly from school staff and principals about what they see happening in the classroom and what they feel the students can achieve.
“This will be the first in a series of discussions in which I am partnering with neighborhood organizations and groups to lead ongoing action teams to leverage the collective wisdom of each of our neighborhoods. I am currently planning to also host events in Beltzhoover, the North Side and Hazelwood,” Rep. Wheatley said.
During the event, a panel discussion was held with teachers and administrators from Miller, St. Benedict, University Prep Schools. It focused on the factors which have contributed to the success in improving and impacting achievement of students, how they saw the community being able to support them and the schools within the neighborhood, and challenges that can be worked on.
Reverend Glenn Grayson of Wesley AMEZ Church in the Hill District; parent organizers Celeta Hickman and Princess Hughes of HDEC; Marimba Milliones from the Hill CDC; Bomani Howze from the New Hill Business Association; and HDEC Executive Director DaVonna Graham were all community members who were involved in the agenda throughout the celebration.
The community was able to have a serious conversation about some of the areas of concerns in the schools, while rallying behind the exceptional astounding work of both teachers and students.
The event helped to place education at the forefront of people’s thinking.
Eleven students from Miller, Weil and St. Benedict Schools received City Council citations for academic excellence; three U-Prep students received “Peace Maker” awards; and three U-Prep students were honored with “Extra Effort” awards. In addition, seven teachers and staff, from the schools and who were chosen by their principals received a citation for their outstanding and dedicated work.
“My favorite part of the evening was when the students were awarded, and as the crowd celebrated their success,” event attendee Yvonne Jones said. “It’s important that we celebrate our young people, and encourage them to be great. All we hear are negative happenings in the community, when really moments like these need talked about.”
The event also shared information regarding the data released by A+ Schools relating to the Hill District schools and to re-engage all of the community’s stakeholders in affirming the commitment to change those numbers for the better.
“Education saved my life and the power of education offers the chance for our children to be free! It’s not just about obtaining skills for jobs; it’s about creating leaders and citizens who know and value free thoughts,” Wheatley explained. “It’s about creating future creative problem solvers who can take our society to higher and greater heights! We need people who can see the world not only for what it is, but how it can be.”
Follow @NewPghCourier on Twitter https://twitter.com/NewPghCourier
Like us at https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Pittsburgh-Courier/143866755628836?ref=hl
Download our mobile app at https://www.appshopper.com/news/new-pittsburgh-courier
About Post Author
