From a very young age, I became driven to understand what Baltimore is beyond the headlines, textbooks, and academic papers. Thus, I passionately wished to explore the neighborhoods and learn what Baltimore is through the words and visions of the residents of this wondrous city.
Interning at Child First Authority was a momentous opportunity to make these ambitions a reality. As part of my internship, I interned under the Community School Coordinator of City Springs Elementary / Middle School Mr. Ahmad Collick. A community school coordinator works to provide resources to strengthen the community in order to strengthen the students’ success. These resources include providing childcare, helping homeless families or students, connecting community members to healthcare, and / or enriching after-school and college-readiness programs.
Our main goal was to address chronic absenteeism( missing 18 + days of school) in City Springs. During the summer, we studied previous year attendance records and conducted investigative attendance tracking. Through this approach, I coordinated student-based focus groups, interviewed teachers, and communicated with parents and guardians to understand the reasons for absence and compile the findings into data. By studying a large set of data and analyzing the absenteeism trends among grade levels, I was able to work with a team to brainstorm solutions and resources for the next school year. However, beyond data analysis, a large amount of the summer required creativity! My typical week as Community School Coordinator intern would be working side by side with community partners to organize community-wide events; establishing community partnerships; co-producing initiatives with council members; and coordinating service projects.
While it sounds like an intense load of work, I enjoyed each and every minute of going door to door to meet neighbors and residents of Baltimore; meeting and befriending passionate community school coordinators and educators; and learning and questioning the structure and systems placed to inhibit the growth of marginalized populations in Baltimore. I will always cherish the memory of bumping to music while folding resource guides and mailing envelopes to every student of City Springs Elementary / Middle School. This simple task memorializes the energy and passion behind working towards ambitious goals through small, dedicated steps.
Community Partner: Child First Authority Intern: Smitha Mahesh Site Supervisor: Ahmad Collick
What is Child First Authority? Child First Authority( CFA) provides funding to( 1) organize high quality, after school and in-school programs in Baltimore City Public Schools,( 2) organize parents, school staff, and community partners to act on their vision of a brighter future for BCPS children.
• Studied, investigated, and categorized reasons for students’ absences at City Springs Elementary / Middle School
• Researched and contacted community organizations to aid students and families that face challenges such as transportation / out of zone, home instability, health care, aversion, parent apathy, school climate, and / or lack of clothing / school supplies
• Coordinated interviews with students, parents, and faculty to obtain feedback on attendance, policies placed within the school and school district, and quality of resources provided by the school
• Collaborated with principles, community school coordinators, social workers, teachers, members of Baltimore Curriculum Project and Family League, and councilmembers to create restorative practices and solutions to reduce chronic absenteeism
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