Bridging the Gap With Dmh

Cultivating Our Capacities & Brightening Our Communities:
Educational Opportunity for the Descendants of the Enslaved in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

PHASE ONE: ACQUISITION AND RECRUITMENT

​A formal announcement of the program will be made and a facility will be secured. Solicitation of participants will begin through a comprehensive marketing campaign. A Board of Directors as well as a Community Guidance Committee will be assembled in order to give direction to the program. Selection for the guidance team will center around local people with a demonstrated commitment to the understanding, acknowledgement and removal of historic barriers to educational opportunity for the descendants of enslaved people in Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. The team will represent a cross-sectional collaboration of the community with intentional focus on: Policy makers, Faith-based community members, Local descendants of enslaved people in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Orange County, Business community representatives, Grassroots activists, Policy experts, Youth Media/Narrative change agents, Housing community experts, and Legal counsel.

Based on recommendations from the Guidance Committee, the Board will hire a Director, Assistant or Co-Director, and Administrator who will spend Spring 2022 researching other successful enrichment programs. They will explore partnering with the UNC School of Education, evaluate descendant participants’ education data and develop a curriculum for the program. They will also collaborate with to develop transportation and nutrition plans.

Methodology

The program will seek to address the needs of the whole child. A community partnership with the family, school and community will be formed to aid and support the student’s well-being and sense of security. The program will partner with university educational programs to provide trained, community educators who will conduct individualized tutoring for each of the children in the program. Upon entrance into the program, the students will be assessed to determine their academic proficiency and will be provided with an education plan. The program will feature field trips, travel to different universities and offer enrichment opportunities which will introduce and expose students to the larger world and future possibilities.

PHASE TWO: RESEARCH, PLANNING AND CONTACT

The Director(s) will hire staff members based on the research findings in the spring. They will explore engaging with the education departments at UNC and NCCU to recruit student volunteers who will receive academic credit for working with the program. Supplies will be purchased for the fall opening and contact will be made and maintained with the families of program participants. Student assessments will also be conducted for individualized learning plans. Enrichment and daily schedules will be developed during this time.
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PHASE THREE: IMPLEMENTATION AND REPORTING

The program will launch. Quarterly public progress reports will be developed and disseminated to the families and to the community at large with c