Uncovering Hidden Figures
In a school with a majority African-American student body, Black History Month is of special importance.
This year, Third Grade Teacher, Sherry Barbour, and Fifth Grade Teacher, Wakeshia Ghee, were especially excited to open students’ eyes to important cultural figures they weren’t already familiar with. While most students know heroes like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Harriet Tubman, Mrs. Ghee and Mrs. Barbour also assigned lesser known historical figures who made a tremendous impact on history.
After students were given questions to help guide their projects, they set about organizing their research, writing rough drafts, receiving and implementing both teacher and peer feedback, and creating final presentations.
While this may sound like a tall order for a student in elementary school, according to Mrs. Barbour, “They love it! It’s a big deal for them to see what’s possible in the worst circumstances and gain respect for Black Americans they may have otherwise never learned about.”
It wasn’t just teachers who had good things to say about this project. Third grade students, Elijah and Neree, were eager to share what they learned while working on their research papers: “I liked learning about Shirley Chisholm,” said Neree. “She inspired me because she was the first African American candidate for the president of the United States. And I want to have hair like hers.”
Elijah researched William Henry Hastie. “He was the first African American federal judge,” said Elijah. “He inspired me because he went through hard things but still did a lot of good things. I would want to do something like him when I grow up.”
Through this project students not only learned about historical figures, but they also learned skills and discipline needed to complete a research paper. “They realize that searching a couple of sites will not suffice for the information needed,” said Mrs. Ghee. “The hardest parts for them were relative to the research papers: finding the right information, searching for reliable websites, and making the research interesting to them to be able to retain the information.” Walking In the Steps of Dr. King
Of course, the greats are great for a reason, and every year in February, Youth Ministry Director, Brandon Grant, looks forward to honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.with an annual dinner and celebration that carries on his important work through the students at the school. The event is entirely student led, from planning and decorating to food preparation, to the performing of personal I Have A Dream speeches. “Parents were reminded of the importance of Dr. King's life and legacy, which they got to see on full display through the efforts of their children. It’s a very proud moment.” As the below example shows, speeches reflect the very real challenges our students strive to overcome on a daily basis. Everybody has a dream. Just like the young men that died from shootings. Now it’s time for me to live mine. I have a dream just like Doctor King. That all the kids in my generation would continue thriving. That all children would grow up with both parents. That all children will be able to accomplish their dreams. That the community would stop gun violence and drug use as a team. We would lead and not follow. That we can make a change to the continuous bad things. That we can all love each other. I have a dream that I can mentor my younger sisters. That I will lead myself to success. That I would not let my flaws define who I am. That I can lead my friends correctly. That I continue the push toward the education to become a neuroscientist. That I can block out bad distractions. That I can slow down in life when I need to. I can thrive mentally and academically. That my blackness won’t be considered as a weapon. That more activists can come up. Yes, that's my dream. -Nakiya A
This is why Harambee exists. Our mission is to help students like Elijah, Neree, and Nakiya understand who God has made them to be and to overcome the challenges not only of history but of this present day. And we know that with Christ on their side, all things are possible. Celebrating African-American Excellence
Recently, the Ohio Department of Education released test data for schools that have students utilizing the EdChoice Scholarship.
While we’ve previously been able to track Harambee students’ success relative to local public schools and higher performing suburban districts including Worthington and Westerville, we were proud to celebrate news that Harambee ranked #2 in the entire state of Ohio for African-American students among 419 schools!
For All Students - All Subjects
Harambee is ranked 5 of 45 EdChoice schools in Franklin County with 76.1% proficiency and the most students taking the test of any school in the top five.
Harambee is ranked 15 of 419 EdChoice Schools in the state of Ohio with 76.1% proficient.
For African-American Students - All Subjects
Harambee is ranked 2 of 45 EdChoice schools in Franklin County with 76.8% proficiency.
Harambee is ranked 2 of 419 EdChoice schools in the state of Ohio with 76.8% proficiency.
We give all glory to God for these achievements and deepest thanks to the teachers, parents, and volunteers who nurture Harambee youth!