Maybe it’s because I only do streaming these days, but I am missing all the Back to School season commercials. It hit me hard when I walked into Lowes and saw Halloween decorations before I had a chance to skip through the Notebook aisle at Target humming “It’s the most wonderful time….”
I personally find August to be a golden month of nostalgia and excitement rolled up in one. Every pool day is one closer to the last, every night I am savoring daylight, and I am simultaneously mentally planning for fall with lists on lists on lists. While I have not been in the classroom for several years, summer remains a time that feels like it is all about me; it is time for my rest, time for my hobbies, time for my connections, and time for my learning. This summer, I have been truly honored to create spaces of community and learning for adults, and the August break has given me time to get excited for more in the fall!
I think what I love most about adult learning spaces is the openness and vulnerability we all bring. While I always work to achieve that with young people, as adult learners we have come to the space by choice, we have some idea of how we will use what we are learning in our “real lives”, and because we are balancing learning with all the “real life” adulting stuff, we have fewer qualms about asking questions and finding meaning because we don’t want to waste our time. Whereas for young people, the classroom can be taken for granted – after all they are expected to be there every day and we adults have a lot of work to do to make it feel relevant given the fact that they don’t get many authentic opportunities to apply their learning (a post for another day… I digress), when adults come together to learn there is a level of urgency that makes it an exciting space.
This summer, I had the pleasure of continuing my work in centering girls of color in schools with Kansas City Girls Preparatory Academy‘s Leadership Team. Over four virtual sessions with asynchronous work in between, we came together to explore the importance of understanding the history of education for Black girls and strategies that address that history by elevating Black girls’ voices and agency in learning. I must admit, this is by far one of my favorite topics to facilitate not only because it is near and dear to my personal and professional life as a Black woman and educator, but also because of the deep resonance and “aha moments” I get to witness from participants. To hear educators who grapple with systemic challenges genuinely reimagine learning for their students simply by looking at their work through a new lens is inspiring. This group of educators pushed me even further in the way they applied the content to their own leadership; they elevated the importance of modeling as they considered if the same challenges existed for Black women in their school. In all the time I have facilitated this workshop, I have yet to work with a group that was so willing to look at themselves and how they model the world they want to see for their Black students. I learned so much from this group and can’t wait to revamp the material again for my next group with these lessons in mind. If you believe you or your school could benefit from planning through the lens of elevating girls of color, contact me at cristina@impactllcs.com to discuss a personal or group learning plan.
Whether it is with adults or young people, it is undeniable that teaching is the best way to learn. This summer marked two years that I have served as a facilitator for the Invest York Road Financial Education Program. I am by no means a financial expert, but I love to connect with people through teaching! This program has been such a gift, not only in the lessons I’ve learned about saving, debt, credit, and investing, but in reminding me of the impact of a space of shared power. Shared power is something I explore quite a bit in my workshops on building student agency and self-efficacy, but when teaching adults in these community-based sessions it comes so organically that I almost didn’t notice that it is the very thing that makes the sessions so great. The Invest York Road Project seeks to build community wealth while revitalizing a portion of Baltimore’s York Road corridor. By building community wealth through financial education, Invest York Road believes that “residents will be able to build wealth, and by maintaining ownership of the properties, the community will be able to nurture a vibrant commercial corridor with thriving businesses aligned with residents’ interests and needs.” We have received such powerful feedback from participants over the years and, in the spirit of Back to School, have been refreshing the curriculum. As a community member who is not a financial expert, I enjoy creating an environment where we are learning together and are free to ask and share anything without fear of judgement, correction, or evaluation. I am excited to continue connecting with community members and empowering them with financial knowledge. Learn more about Invest York Road and register for fall sessions here!
Happy Back to School!!! (it’s the most wonderful tiiiiiiiiiime of the year…..”)
imPACT EducationAl Consulting, LLC 