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Achieving academic success
Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status and School Achievement
Roles of Family in Teen Development
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YWCA’s Youth Mentorship Program (YMP) is designed to promote positive youth development and leadership while combating issues leading to increased drop‐out rates, teen pregnancy rates, and juvenile detention rates facing the enrolled youth in the program. YMP’s strength lies in its unique family‐oriented atmosphere. Mentors act as role‐models and tutors while interacting with the families of each participant in order to provide the best possible service to each youth. For many of the youth that we serve, that steadying presence over their formative years is the most stable thing in their lives. By providing a structured study environment, enrichment activities, character development, and tutoring we promote success in school, development of …show more content…
According to a study conducted by the US Department of Education in 2007, “At least 50 percent and often closer to 70 percent of youth growing up in high‐risk conditions developed social competence despite exposure to severe stress.” This is due to the qualities the youth development model seeks to instill. Youth in this study who did well in school were more likely to make a successful transition to adulthood. This transition included a greater likelihood of attaining a high school diploma, attending post‐secondary education, attaining a college degree and improving social and economic standing. On the other hand, poor academic achievement led to less successful outcomes and a greater tendency of school …show more content…
Pre‐teen and teenage years are often difficult periods socially, mentally, physically as well as academically. Adolescents struggle with identity development, acceptance and the demands of peer pressure. They often experience intense emotional states of insecurity, rebellion, and depression; however these challenges are typically intensified for at‐risk youth. At‐risk youth may lack the necessary social or familial support to be successful in their academic, personal and social lives or to overcome such pressures. Many of these young people do not have a family life capable of providing a structured environment that encourages positive decision‐making skills or the building of basic social skills. Furthermore, there is often little or no support academically to complete homework or to be studious during after school hours. Many children from at‐risk homes lack the motivation to be successful in school and to build personal relationships with peers. Students of the Youth Mentorship Program are encouraged to focus on their strengths, set high expectations and to take advantage of the alternatives available to them in order to succeed. As a part of YMP, The mentor/mentee relationship is specifically designed to help at‐ risk adolescents ages 11‐14 remain focused and have self‐determination as they continue on in their teenage
Research and Practice: The Role of Evidence-Based Program Practices in the Youth Mentoring Field. (2009). Mentoring Resource Center, (30).
The acute and chronic stress that these children raised in poverty experience leaves a devastating imprint on their lives. For Ayla, the chronic stress of her drug-using mother has a relentless influence on her experience in school. Her mother has poor management skills, and has almost lost custody to Ayla and her sister on two occasions. This kind of stress exerts a devastating influence on children 's physical, psychological, emotional, and cognitive functioning—areas that affect brain development, academic success, and social competence. Students subjected to such stress may lack crucial coping skills and experience significant behavioral and academic problems in school. As such, I can understand Ayla’s lack of interest in class discussions, and her tendency to sleep in class because the disadvantages she must be experiencing at home. The stress she experiences has an evident role in her low self-esteem and lack of dreams or aspirations for
There are many contributing factors for high schoolers struggling. The peer pressure for one, may lead to a traumatic event of another. This can alter life immensely. Traumatic events can shape people's personalities and how they’ll respond to situations for the rest of
Students that have been labeled “delinquent” need help in beating the odds to become successful adults. As C. Ogletree discusses article, Total Reform for a Broken System, a program needs to be created that includes family involvement and support to create concrete goals and means for students to achieve them, in the aim of becoming successful students throughout each school until graduation. It is a great goal for school institutions to strive in changing students’ behavior for the better, giving them a fair opportunity in education. Not to single out those of low-income homes, race, or learning disabilities. It should be the goal to get to the heart of misbehavior that is introducing so many students into the juvenile justice system. School institutions need to be place of supportive and structured learning from day one. Students enter school as young children, for the first time away from parents, relying on educators to guide them throughout their day. School Institutions should look for a positive approach that emphasizes on individual strengths to promote learning. The restorative circles program is having been introduced into school systems as an alternative to the zero tolerance policies. It creates an involvement of communication between all parties in any issue. Whether it be good or bad, it offers support for students to discuss issues and ideas, opening a line of communication between parents, teachers, and students, which will be key a student’s
Children and youth who are at-risk for behavioral problems can have a negative impact on how well the family functions. African American youth who live in poverty are thought to be at-risk for several behavioral problems such as dropping out of school, conduct problems, fighting, criminal involvement, and substance abuse (Nebbitt et al, 2014, Wilson, Foster, Anderson, & Mance, 2009). They are often exposed to violence in their neighborhoods and families, and many of the schools that they attend have fewer resources, all of which help to increase the likelihood of acting out or behavior problems. Parents and families who live in poverty often do not have the education, knowledge or access to intervention or treatment that
Inner-city elementary age kids face many challenges in and out of the classroom. These challenges range from education day in and day out, as well as, sometimes growing up in an impoverished family and community. Factors also include peers which these kids come into contact with at school, in the streets and at home. Kids today need more than ever an extra push of positive motivation from mentors. I believe that this constructive mentoring begins with after school programs. After school programs give kids the opportunity to work one on one with an adult to reinforce encouragement and teach more than just text education. Because I have participated as a volunteer at an after school program, I have seen first hand the positive impact such programs can generate among elementary aged kids involved.
I cannot recall a more rewarding experience than helping facilitate a child’s education while enabling parent participation alike. These experiences have drawn me to my current position as an Educational Assistant where I am constantly interacting and establishing relationships with students, learning about their goals and aspirations. It is that same desire to empower our future students that has steered me towards a career as a school counselor. By enrolling in the Masters in counseling program, I aspire to develop methods and experience to become an effective, experienced, and adaptable school counselor that promotes self-awareness, allowing students to realize their full potential and impetus them towards a promising future. I want to learn skills that facilitate personal and career development, ensuring that our students grow accomplishing their goals and ambitions. To discover techniques that help students improve in all areas of academic achievement, establishing relationships with students and parents alike. By becoming a school counselor, I am determined to become an advocate for underserved youth. I aim to become an effective agent educational reform, providing support for students in the various institutions that may disempower
Sometimes, determining when students are at risk can be a difficult task. The term “at-risk” has been used to describe a particular category of students who, on the basis of several risk factors, are unlikely to graduate from high school (Land, Stringfield, 2002). Yet educators are also confronted with children who have other at-risk conditions. For example, educators will be responsible for working with students who are at risk due to health problems, substance abuse, disabilities, socioeconomic status and other various reasons. These conditions can make students academically at-risk, or in danger of not meeting their educational potential. The use of the term “at-risk” to describe learners is often controversial and deserves consideration, as the at-risk label can convey a negative connotation.
Organization will keep the mentee on track when remembering what needs to get accomplished and when it needs to be done, keeping his home life calm. Mentors also need to work with the mentee to conduct volunteerism through the community they live in, so the mentee understands if he helps one person, even with the consideration
You succinctly described the positive impact mentors have on the lives of youth. As you note, mentors provide positive adult interaction with youth that need help with social and behavior skill building. Therefore, mentors like you husband fill the void of absentee parental figures by being supportive and instilling much needed accountability and discipline. While extra curricular sports are examples of tested positive mentorship, community based mentorship programs also have a great impact within lower income communities. Programs such as after school tutoring that enable peer to peer socialization and Big Brother Big Sister that provides one on one interaction are also effective deterrents of juvenile delinquency. Too often juvenile delinquency
4. Program Evaluation 4.1 Research evaluation question - This outcome evaluation will look at short-term impacts of the program on students. It will look to answer the following question: did the My FRIENDS Youth program contribute to students’ ability to effectively cope with new challenges and stresses? 4.2 Theoretical framework - The evaluation will be non-experimental. Specifically, a qualitative evaluation that takes an interpretive approach will be employed.
Family issues, poverty, and homelessness cause students to drop out of high school as it impacts education by placing stressful obstacles in children’s learning path. A National study found, “Overall, 22 percent of children who have lived in poverty do not graduate from high school, compared to 6 percent of those who have never been poor” (National Study). Lack of educational success can also contribute to throwing in the towel on school. Some students may not be receiving the additional supports to give them success in school. Imagine coming home on the bus after a ten hour day and having your ninth grader ask for help on their algebra. If you possessed the skills, which you likely do not, you may be too exhausted to help. In addition there is still dinner to cook and other household chores to complete. It is a daunting request that you may not be able to comply with. “Family poverty is associated with a number of adverse conditions — high mobility and homelessness; hunger and food insecurity; parents who are in jail or absent; domestic violence; drug abuse and other problem…” (Shonkoff & Garner, 2012 as quoted by Rumberger). Poverty is an obstacle to learning even for the brightest children. As a result few can overcome these stumbling
Phillips, T. M. (2012). The influence of family structure vs. family climate on adolescent well-being. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 29, 103-110. Retrieved from DOI 10.1007/s10560-012-0254-4
Adolescents age is a very important phase since this is the breaking point for them to learn what is consider bad or good. At this age puberty is involved and many adolescents are individually driven at this age and are peer motivated by social status. During puberty "adolescents are learning how to handle new demands in school and social life while learning to deal with new, intense emotions and to do so without adult guidance" (Yeager 2017:74). At puberty many changes occur mentally and physically. One SEL program that stuck out of the many presented is the Becoming a Man (BAM) program that helped increase graduation rates for adolescents. The BAM program "did not tell young people what they have to do but helped young people find ways to maintain their status" (Yeager 2017:78). Programs like BAM are ideal for schools. Teaching to motivate instead of direct orders is the best method: "SEL programs give them mindsets that will harness their motivations" (Yeager
An at-risk youth is defined as a 12-17 year old adolescent who faces additional adversity while navigating developmental challenges. Specifically, risks facing this population include poor mental or physical health, criminality, lack of financial independence or job readiness due to academic failure; the inability to contribute to society. The daily adversity these children face are complex and dynamic. Traumatic experiences such as coming from an abusive home, may result in removal from the home by child protective services. The stress of living in a family atmosphere without safe, democratic family structure can be exacerbated by