WORCESTER PARENTS COMPLETE 6-WEEK WORKSHOP SERIES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND AND ADVOCATE FOR THEIR CHILDREN’S NEEDS

On March 21st, parents who completed the Powerful Parent workshop series celebrated the culmination of their journey with a small graduation ceremony at the Durkin Administration Building in Worcester. Hosted by C-PLAN and Worcester Education Collaborative, the six-session series was designed to empower local parents with crucial knowledge about challenges in today's educational landscape and the tools necessary to address unfair differences in education with a solution-oriented mindset.

Throughout the sessions, offered in both English and Spanish, participants engaged in interactive activities and discussions aimed to help foster a sense of community and explore strategies to support their child.

“I believe that this [experience] will help me understand [my child’s] learning style, any areas where they may be struggling, and how I can support them outside of school,” said one parent, “Ultimately, my goal is to work together with their teachers to ensure that my child is receiving the best possible education and achieving their academic goals.”

The group of dedicated parents is now better equipped with the tools to open doors for their child along their educational journey and the confidence to do so, exemplifying what it means to be a powerful parent. Their graduation marks not just the end of a series, but the beginning of a more informed and proactive approach to their child’s education.

WEC Attends Nellie Mae’s Community-School Partnerships Conference

On March 22nd, members of WEC’s FACES team attended the Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s (NMEF) Advancing Community-School Partnerships Conference in Norwood, MA.

The one-day in-person event focused on elevating the collective efforts of NMEF’s community of practice members who are working to advance community-school partnerships for racial equity in education across the region. The diverse group included educators, leaders, families, students, and community partners.

Attendees engaged in interactive learning experiences, reflection, and celebrated their shared progress together, fostering new relationships to help support the work being done at each of their organizations.

"The Nellie Mae Conference was an incredibly eye-opening experience: seeing the challenges, obstacles, and radical and progressive actions taken distinctly affecting school districts, families, and communities - for better and for worse,” said Dina Tedeschi, member of the FACES Team at WEC. “As many improvements and strides WPS has made over the last few years, I was reminded that it is critical for caregivers and communities to stay focused on advocacy and diligently attentive to all that impacts our schools, our educators, and most importantly, our students. It was also a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow WEC colleagues, and build upon new relationships."

More about the FACES Team at WEC

The FACES Team works to involve the parents of Worcester Public School students and community members in the advocacy efforts and events of the Worcester Education Equity Roundtable. They play a pivotal role in fostering meaningful partnerships between families, the community, the Roundtable, WEC, and WPS by helping to facilitate regular parent meetings and educational events, sharing pertinent information and resources, and developing and nurturing partnerships with local organizations, leaders, and businesses to broaden equitable access to opportunities for all WPS students and families.

To contact the FACES Team, please email Julia Kilgore, Senior Deputy Director, at jkilgore@wecollaborative.org.

Worcester chosen for EdRedesign's 2024 Institute for Success Planning Community of Practice at Harvard

The EdRedesign Lab’s Institute for Success Planning at the Harvard Graduate School of Education has announced its third cohort of cross-sector teams from across the country joining its 2024 Success Planning Community of Practice and Worcester has been chosen.

There are sixteen total communities invited to participate in the 2024-2025 Success Planning Community of Practice, including six communities from cohort 2 returning for their second year and ten new communities representing cohort 3. The returning communities are Cambridge, MA; Chelsea, MA; Dayton, OH; Memphis, TN; San Francisco, CA; and Spartanburg, SC. The new cohort 3 Community of Practice communities are Birmingham, AL; Berea, KY; NY, NY (Children’s Aid Society); Oakland, CA; Orlando, FL; Salt Lake City, UT; San Antonio, TX; San Diego, CA; Toledo, OH; and Worcester, MA. The multisector community teams include leaders from school systems, health and human services agencies, out-of-school-time and other community- and faith-based organizations, backbone organizations, place-based partnerships, and mayors and other local officials.

Read the official release from The EdRedeisgn Lab here

New Report: The Impact of the MassCore High School Program of Study on Student Success

Students’ selection of their high school courses hasn’t been a particularly controversial topic in policy conversations about public education. High school students typically select the courses that reflect a mix of their interests and the skills they expect to need for life after high school. But the reality is that the courses students take in high school are crucially important, setting students up for — or holding them back from — pursuing their postsecondary dreams.

WPS Hosts Inaugural Gathering for Excellence

The inaugural event featured a discussion about the strategic plan, "Our Promise to the Future", as well as what it means for students to be Future-Ready. Discussion led by Dr. Rachel H. Monárrez, Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools.

This event was recorded on Tuesday, January 30, 2024.

Recorded and published by WEA-TV 11.

Behind the Scenes with Hanover Fellow Isa Kelly

Isa Kelly is a Hanover Fellow at Main IDEA, a Woo-Labs partner site. Hanover Fellows are undergraduate and graduate students, as well as recent graduates, in Worcester, MA. Fellows work under the mentorship of experienced out-of-school time programming professionals at Woo-Labs partner sites to facilitate meaningful, authentic learning experiences for young people across the city.

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Can you tell us a little bit about the project being completed by students at Main IDEA?

Students are collaborating with the Claremont Academy Community Service Club to design and make murals/billboards to promote various community service projects. Some of these projects include the Thanksgiving Food Drive, Winter Holiday Gift Drive, and a Community ALS Walk.

What has been your favorite part of working with the students?

My favorite part has been seeing how creative and passionate the students are with creating the murals. I love watching how the students make it their own and feel proud of the final product. 

What have the students been most proud of while working on the project?

Students have been most proud of the fact that their peers, teachers, and school administrators walk by the murals and see the work they have done. The students were so happy to hear from the Community Service Club that the Thanksgiving Food Drive mural received a lot of positive feedback. 

How has your training prepared you in your role as a Hanover Fellow?

The WEC training has prepared me for my role by equipping me with the tools to carry out project-based learning with Main IDEA. The training helped me understand the importance of student driven learning and how having students involved at every step of the process can increase their excitement. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience?

I have learned a lot about the value of trying different approaches even if they don’t work the first time. Getting the project going involved a lot of trial and error but I’ve seen how every step of the process has led us to the project we are working on now. 

Fellowship Opportunity at Guild of St. Agnes

WEC is currently seeking a Hanover Fellow for the Guild of St. Agnes project site.

The Woo-Labs Hanover fellowship seeks undergraduate and graduate students and recent graduates in Worcester, Massachusetts to apply. This position is ideal for those passionate about positive youth development and eager to expand their ability to facilitate meaningful, authentic learning experiences for young people under the mentorship of experienced out-of-school time programming professionals.

Fellows will serve up to 180 hours over the course of the school year. The majority of hours are spent working directly at the partner site with whom Fellows match to execute these strategies, with a focus on building capacity for project-based learning opportunities and measurement. 

More about Woo-Labs

WEC has launched “Woo-Labs,” a network of community-based partners advancing educational and racial equity and closing opportunity and achievement gaps by providing high-quality, culturally responsive, project-based learning opportunities for Worcester Public School K-6 students. Drawing its name from residents’ nickname for their city, Woo-Labs reimagines education as an ecosystem that includes out-of-school learning, centers students’ lived experiences and agency, and actively works to dismantle bias and inequity.

This school year, Hanover Fellows will serve at Woo-Labs partner organizations focusing on the following  three foundational strategies:

1. Providing student-centered, project-based learning opportunities

2. Applying a common measurement framework to support program improvement

3. Promoting students’ social emotional skills

Match to a Partner Site

Fellows will serve up to 180 hours over the course of the school year. The majority of hours are spent working directly at the partner site with whom Fellows match to execute these strategies, with a focus on building capacity for project-based learning opportunities and measurement.

Our current open partner sites include:

• Guild of St. Agnes

Professional Development & Training

Fellows engage in Woo-Labs’ “Community of Practice,” ongoing professional development with fellow members of the Woo-Labs ecosystem to expand their knowledge of youth development best practices.

The Community of Practice includes targeted training and discussion on topics such as project-based learning and fostering trauma-sensitive environments as well as opportunities to visit and learn from fellow Woo-Labs partner sites. Fellows also receive comprehensive pre-service training and ongoing support from WEC.

A Year of Service

This is both a Fellowship – a commitment to a set of learning opportunities to promote growth – and a paid position. Fellows must be willing and eager to commit to the responsibilities included here, especially PBL and professional development. This robust learning opportunity requires considerable independence and initiative and will be attractive to future employers.

While schedules vary by site, Fellows must generally be available from September - May to work 5-8 hours per week. Successful eligible Fellows may have the opportunity to continue their experience during the summer.

A Hanover Fellow shares her experience at Main IDEA

Woo-Labs is a network of community organizations reshaping education to focus on children. Together with partners like youth organizations, universities, cultural institutions, and WPS, we collaborate to enhance student success and overcome learning barriers through various student-led projects.

With WEC's backing, partner sites get added support from Hanover Fellows, comprising undergraduates, graduates, and recent grads from Worcester, Massachusetts. The Woo-Labs Hanover fellows are passionate about youth development, and eager to foster genuine learning experiences for young people under the guidance of the seasoned out-of-school programming professionals at each site.

At the Main IDEA project site this year, students are collaborating with the Claremont Academy Community Service Club to design and make murals/billboards to help promote community service projects. Some of these projects include the Thanksgiving Food Drive, Winter Holiday Gift Drive, and a Community ALS Walk taking place in Spring 2024.

“My favorite part has been seeing how creative and passionate the students are with creating the murals. I love watching how the students make it their own and feel proud of the final product,” said Isa, the Hanover Fellow supporting student projects at Main IDEA. 

Empowering Fellows with Professional Development Training

Fellows undergo foundational training in youth work essentials that is followed by an immersive project-based learning curriculum provided by Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Further enriching their skills, they engage in a specialized module by the Worcester College Corps focused on community engagement. Continuous support is then woven into the fellowship experience through regular check-ins with WEC. Fellows also engage in on-going collaborative problem-solving sessions with their peers to foster a space for shared insights and progress updates at their respective project sites.

“The WEC training has prepared me for my role by equipping me with the tools to carry out project-based learning with Main IDEA. The training helped me understand the importance of student driven learning and how having students involved at every step of the process can increase their excitement,” said Isa.

Fellowship Opportunity at Guild of St. Agnes

WEC is currently seeking a Hanover Fellow for the Guild of St. Agnes project site.

The Woo-Labs Hanover fellowship seeks undergraduate and graduate students and recent graduates in Worcester, Massachusetts to apply. This position is ideal for those passionate about positive youth development and eager to expand their ability to facilitate meaningful, authentic learning experiences for young people under the mentorship of experienced out-of-school time programming professionals.

Fellows will serve up to 180 hours over the course of the school year. The majority of hours are spent working directly at the partner site with whom Fellows match to execute these strategies, with a focus on building capacity for project-based learning opportunities and measurement.