Knowledge Works

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out 

(Proverbs 18:15)

February has emerged as one of my favorite months to spend time online and on social media. During Black History Month, I get exposure to many dynamic stories that force me to evaluate what I was taught during my public school education, but most importantly, to seek additional knowledge and learning for myself. My professional background is not in education, but I have been spending a considerable amount of time in public schools in support of career readiness and workforce development. Last week, I heard a teacher’s reference to Margaret Ammond’s definition that the purpose of education has evolved from producing a literate society to producing a learning society (http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/journals/ed_update/eu201207_infographic.pdf).

Referring back to February and Black History Month: It was during this time last year that our church used the weekly announcements to focus on Education by introducing the congregation to stories of the Rosenwald Schools. During the early twentieth century, Julius Rosenwald, an executive of Sears, Roebuck, and Company, partnered with Booker T. Washington to build quality schools to educate black children in the south. The purpose of that Sunday morning program was to solicit people to contribute to preserving the history of these schools. To learn more about the initiative, visit https://savingplaces.org/places/rosenwald-schools.

That evening, I searched the related Fisk University archives (http://rosenwald.fisk.edu/) and proudly learned that I was a benefactor of the Rosenwald investment in education. My mother graduated from Holman School, one of three segregated high schools built in Arkansas County, Arkansas for black children. After desegregation in 1970, Holman remained a critical part of our community, yet there was a lot about the history of the school literally in my back yard that I did not know. Desiring to learn more, I came across this link that gave more insight into the legacy http://www.abandonedar.com/holman-school/.

Fast forward to present day and the education reform debate continues. I am witnessing the pendulum shifts from a focus on humanities, to STEM-centric, to the current STEAM emphasis. Without jumping into politics, it is safe to say that the current Education Secretary has not eased or enhanced the debate on what the country defines as quality education. At least today, education is still viewed as a human right. At this point, I am more grateful that as a parent and a lifelong learner myself, I am not limited to what is taught in schools, nor does curriculum limit my family and community’s education. Education begins at home.

Stay tuned and follow the journey of education engagement, economic development, and entrepreneurial readiness. We value your input. Feel free to comment, or drop us a line at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. 

Doers of Good Works

Be doers and act on what you hear

(James 1:22)

We are raising an amazing son. We take great pride in exercising our parental bragging rights. Here’s the backstory:  Yesterday was the first mentoring session of #CodeRoadClub, so my husband and son attended with me in support. While the program targets young women, as a mom, I saw it as great opportunity for Q to gain exposure to careers in technology. To learn more about women in Memphis, Nairobi, Nashville, and Toronto meeting weekly in a live classroom for educational, cultural, and social exchanges, visit http://www.memphisworks.com/coderoadclub, 

or follow us as I live tweet on Saturdays from @LTR_Latrobe_Mfg to @CodeRoadClub.

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry…life happened and we began the day with a few minor technical difficulties that were quickly overcome by a remarkable support team from all four locations. I privately joke that I live with #ProblemSolver #1 and #2, so in their true nature, their immediate response was to jump in to fix the technology fails. While the girls from different parts of the world took turns introducing themselves and learning valuable information about the importance of networking and demonstrating abilities, my son was purposely listening and looking for opportunities for improvement. When the program ended, he quietly sent me a text that he had “a few ideas to help this work a little better.” Then he proceeded to network by starting a conversation with one of the coders/presenters who recommended building solutions that solve problems.

I woke up this morning to find a professional email from my fifteen year old son that laid out his suggestions for improving the technical production of future sessions. With no edits, I forwarded his email to Mary Hayes, CEO of Engage Learning Systems, and the braintrust behind #CodeRoadClub. She responded with a prompt thank you note to Q, with an offer for him to attend next week’s session as a part of the tech support team, lol! Of course, he accepted!!!

When I wrote about #CSforall in last week’s blog post, I knew that I would begin mentoring with the #CodeRoadClub as my contribution for exposing local young women to this aspect of STEM education. What I did not anticipate was how this act might impact or benefit my own son.  Nor did I expect his level of engagement or participation or excitement about a Saturday morning project.  As a parent, I am most proud that instead of criticizing imperfections in a process, he took professional actions to offer solutions to make something good better. He’s a doer. How are you incorporating technology into your educational, cultural, or service projects? Let us know by commenting or sending an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Manufacturing: MFG DAY 2015!

Save The Date:

October 2, 2015

 

In lieu of my typical blog post, I wanted to take the time to increase awareness of a nationally focused day that is dear to my heart! Manufacturing Day℠ is a celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. Although Manufacturing Day officially occurs on the first Friday in October—this year is October 2, 2015—any day can be a Manufacturing Day. Copied directly from the www.mfgday.com mission (http://www.mfgday.com/about-us):

MFG DAY addresses common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is — and what it isn’t. By working together during and after MFG DAY, manufacturers will begin to address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry.

As of the sharing of this information, there are 363 events scheduled around the United States, and the list keeps growing. Throughout Arkansas, some participants include:

Arkansas First Incorporated in Little Rock

Baldor Electric Company in Fort Smith

Cameron in Little Rock

Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce

National Park College in Piney

Pace Industries in Harrison

South Arkansas Community College in El Dorado

To find an event in your area, visit http://www.mfgday.com/events

The purpose of these events is to give students first-hand, and oftentimes, hands on experience in understanding how things are made. It is also a good opportunity for parents to witness 21st century, advanced manufacturing processes and potential career paths for their children. Specifically in Arkansas, the Museum of Discovery has an exhibit, fashioned after the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood tv show, that demonstrates “How People Make Things.” The program applies STEM principles in a fun format to engage students in basic manufacturing processes like cutting, molding deforming, and assembly on multi-axis machines. To learn more about the exhibit that runs until September 22, 2015, visit http://www.mfgday.com/resources/teaching-children.  

There are lots of opportunities to discover and explore the excitement of manufacturing. If your company or community is sponsoring a MFG DAY event that you would like to highlight, feel free to comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Training a Child for Good Works

Train up a child in the way he should go:

and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

(Proverbs 22:6)

I cannot believe that today is the last day of May. This month has passed by so quickly, that I never got to provide an update that our son was selected to attend the National Flight Academy program. I am excited to share that he was one of one hundred lucky students selected to represent the Memphis metro area. I am even more excited to share that the expense of the program was sponsored and paid for by FedEx, strong community advocates for STEM education.

So with that news, we entered a new season. As a corporate sponsor, FedEx provided transportation from Memphis to the naval base in Pensacola, FL. As the parents of an only child, last night was our first time handing off our child to complete strangers for a nine hour bus ride that crossed five state lines. Sure, he has attended sleep away camps before (in 2013, he was selected to attend the Lonestar Leadership Academy near Dallas, but we dropped him off and made sure that a he and the camp had the emergency contact number of a close family member, if needed). In this situation, we had to trust that we have raised a good child and prepared him to represent his family, his city, and the program well.

Although sending our child off for a week was semi-new to us, the NFA program provided parents and students with a handbook that clearly explained all protocols and procedures. That came as no surprise, considering that the camp takes place on a military base. I am sharing the guidelines for anyone with children attending their first sleep away camp:

Conquering Home Sickness

The key to dealing with homesickness is to prepare the child in advance:

• Do ask a close friend or relative to register for the same session your child is attending.
• Do have your child spend the night with friends or relatives.
• Do discuss what the program will be like before your child leaves home, addressing any concerns.
• Do not tell children you will rescue them if they do not like the program.
• Do assure your child of your love.
• Do send along a favorite stuffed animal.
• Do not go into great detail about what your child may be missing at home.

If, despite all efforts, your child does become homesick:

• Do acknowledge your child’s feelings.
• Do reassure your child of your love.
• Do reassure your child the program is an opportunity for children to grow, mature and gain independence.
• Do not mention how much you miss your child.

It’s been over twelve hours since the departure. He has sent us a couple of text messages, but no calls as of yet. My mother reminded me that I acted the same way when I attended my first sleep away camp (Camp Couchdale), not calling as a way of demonstrating my independence, so, I had to laugh at the way that life as a way of repeating itself. We prepared him for this moment to prove that when required, he will not depart from the home training instilled in him. How are you training the children in for family or community to be prepared for the good works and opportunities afforded to them? Please comment or send me an email to latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.

Ordained for Good Works

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

Before you were born I sanctified you;

I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

(Jeremiah 4:5)

I use this platform to share with others things that excite and/or inspire me along my journey of finding my purposed work. Last night, I watched the re-broadcast of #BlackGirlsRock! Founder Beverly Bond launched her purposed work through a youth empowerment and mentoring organization established to promote the arts for young women of color, as well as to encourage dialogue and analysis of the ways women of color are portrayed in the media. (To learn more, visit http://www.blackgirlsrockinc.com/). The fifth awards ceremony aired on Easter Sunday, honoring and celebrating the accomplishments and good works of black girls from eight to their eighties!

The Change Agent honoree, an educator, proclaimed that she “opened a school to close a prison.” Nadia Lopez is the principal at Brooklyn’s Motts Hall Bridges Academy, a school focused on STEM and arts education. She gained national attention when her viral campaign to send five students to Harvard raised over $1M in contributions. She said that before giving her acceptance speech, she paused and drew strength from Jeremiah 1:4-12, and delivered this:

“I wanna thank God for this day and appointed time. I also want to thank Beverly for your vision and conviction. To allow someone like me to even be honored. As women, we are constantly having to prove our worth, intelligence and having to fight for respect on our jobs, in society and many times in our homes. Ironically, when one of us women achieves recognizable success, we are taught to question the credibility of that success instead of expecting greatness and celebrating it.

The SHE that is great, whether recognized or not, lives in all of us. She is significant. She is heroic. And she is exquisite. God fashioned each of us with gifts and talents and abilities that I have been blessed to use. And I use them to empower children. So the daily question that I ask myself that I ask you is ‘What are you doing with God’s gift?’ How are you changing the world? And how are you making a difference in the lives of children?  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to remind my scholars that learning is a lifelong process and the reason why we wear black and purple is because we are descendants of royalty and they are bound for greatness.”

Transcribed  Speech Courtesy

http://www.awesomelyluvvie.com/2015/04/black-girls-rock-2015-recap.html

There were so many motivating and tear-worthy moments throughout the show. Ms. Lopez became a new shero, a woman walking in her purposed work. Instead of complaining about the education system in her community, she became the Change Agent, doing what she was ordained to do. How are you using your gifts to change your community or to make a difference in the life of a child? Feel free to comment, or, send me an email at latanyua.robinson@gmail.com. If you like this post and want to catch up on some of my previous discussions, please visit the full Purposed Work blog at http://ltr-latrobe-mfg.blogspot.com/.