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BY NAJA WILLIAMSON What do a kitchen table and an open pantry have to do with improving test scores and high school graduation rates? Barbara J. Harris (pictured), founder and president of Emerging Parents, a subcommittee of Crawford County Family Connection, can tell you. "Invite students to your home," said Harris. "Sit them around a kitchen table. Provide varied instruction in an informal setting with food, fellowship, and love. We're proving this approach gets results." With a 100-percent pass rate, Emerging Parents is demonstrating that when a group of students gather around a kitchen table in a welcoming environment to complement the classroom experience, no child gets left behind. When Harris and Emerging Parents discussed ideas for improving high-school graduation rates, the concept of helping students study in a nontraditional setting to pass the tests required for graduation materialized. The Graduation Kitchen Table model allows students to learn outside the typical school atmosphere in 90-minute workshops that take place around an actual kitchen table—Harris' kitchen table. Harris opened her heart, her home, and her pantry to students who were taking the writing test this year. Through the local Family Connection, she gave an open invitation to juniors and seniors to attend Sunday afternoon workshops. Seven 11th-graders taking the test for the first time accepted and met for five consecutive weeks to prepare for the test. Harris also allowed an interested ninth-grader to participate, hoping to track the growth of a student who receives instruction from an earlier age.
In a conscious effort to foster an environment of love and respect, Harris opened and closed each session with prayer, and required participants to to be respectful and to dress appropriately. The love, however, clearly emerges from community. While it was Harris who welcomed the youth into her home, it was the adult participation that propelled the success of the program. Harris and three volunteer teachers—Diane Davis, Petrolia Tharpe, and Magnolia Walker—broke the work down into simple steps, gave the students samples of well-written essays, and guided them through writing an opening paragraph and a rough draft. Volunteer teachers and Emerging Parent volunteers Jessie Coleman and Delois Carson checked the students' draft essays and provided constructive feedback. Meanwhile, the parents did their part by providing plenty of food. Without listening to community parents and youth, Harris says the vision for the Graduation Kitchen Table workshops would not be what it is. She listens to what people in the community are saying and values their input. "Everyone can bring something to the table," she said. "We just have to be willing to meet people where they are. I listen to youth. I learned that they want to do well in school. They want to ask questions without feeling stupid and they don't always feel free to do that in a formal classroom setting." This nontraditional setting motivated the students to gather around the kitchen table to work hard each week. According to Harris, they felt free to ask questions and share advice with their peers, and they readily accepted the tutors' constructive criticism. "I was impressed with the students' enthusiasm and willingness to ask questions that they would not have asked in a regular classroom," said Walker, a professional educator. "The students' sharpened their skills, and their writing showed noticeable improvement." According to Harris, the students passed the writing test at an unheard of rate of 100 percent. "It brings me joy to watch young people getting ready to emerge like butterflies. I empathize with them when they experience growth and success," she said. Emerging Parents quickly built on its initial success. "We opened our workshops to students who had been unsuccessful in passing the graduation test, including a senior making his third attempt at passing the math, science, and writing exams. "We're happy to report that the 100-percent pass rate continued," said Harris. After clearing the graduation hurdle, these students found an open pathway to follow their dreams. "I appreciate all their hard work to help me graduate," said student Bryan Tallart. "Now I can attend college." As a youth advocate, Harris organized Emerging Parents to aid in the successful education of Roberta/Crawford County's young people. Its purpose is to improve communication between parents and the school. According to Harris, Emerging Parents is a meet-and-confer parent advisory council with some committee involvement that supports Crawford County Family Connection in achieving its goal to help all children in the county graduate from high school. "The Graduation Kitchen Table is an example of what a small group of compassionate, dedicated parent volunteers can do to support the work of Family Connection and make a difference for children and families," said Tawanna Harris, coordinator of Crawford County Family Connection. "It shows that our students, with a little encouragement, are eager and capable of succeeding." Emerging Parents is seeking help from grants and business sponsors to continue this work. Harris' vision is for the Graduation Kitchen Table workshops to expand to all areas of the county and beyond.
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