By BOB RAY SANDERS
bobray@star-telegram.com
Dropout rates, poor scores in math and science and lack of motivation to succeed are some of the major problems facing students, particularly those in urban schools.
There have been many attempts to address these constant concerns, and we’ve seen some limited success against what often seems to be insurmountable odds.
Over the years, however, we keep going back to the drawing board trying to invent ways to hold children’s attention, improve their performance in the classroom and keep them out of trouble and in school until they graduate, prepared, we hope, to continue their education.
The country is feeling the consequences of failing our kids and, therefore, failing the nation itself by producing too many youngsters who are not ready for college or for the needs of corporate America, thus becoming a burden on the rest of society.
We all know this unworkable cycle has to end — that we’ve got to do better by those we know will be the future of this country, prepared or not.
A new, bold and innovative initiative announced Saturday by Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Brooks promises to be one that has the potential to drastically change young people’s lives and, by doing so, change their future and ours.
It already has buy-in from school districts, area universities, major corporations and local foundations.
The Generation Hope Laptop Program is designed to motivate middle-school students from targeted schools in three districts to improve their math and science skills by introducing them to needed technology, giving them after-school instruction by highly qualified staff and rewarding them with their own webcam laptop upon completion of the three-year program.
It is financed by a fund set up to honor the commissioner’s late parents, Marion J. and Marie N. Brooks, two leaders in the community who devoted their lives to serving others, including fighting to improve education and being role models for thousands of young people in Tarrant County.
The cost of the project is about $400,000 annually, and it has received contributions from the Amon Carter, Sid W. Richardson and Bass foundations, as well as Lockheed Martin.
In addition, AT&T loaned for six months the full-time services of its operations manager, Michael Board, to help develop the project, and Texas Wesleyan University provided office space and computers. The faculty will be composed of graduate students from Texas Christian University and TWU, and the University of Texas at Arlington has been contracted to evaluate the project and follow the students after they have completed the project.
"What we want to do is grab these kids by their imagination," Brooks said, adding that through project-based work they will be encouraged to succeed.
The program will begin with 160 sixth-grade students from schools in the commissioner’s precinct, which covers parts of the Fort Worth, Crowley and Everman school districts. Each year another sixth-grade group will be added.
Students will attend classes two days a week after school on their own campuses, and one Saturday a month they will be brought to TWU for instruction. Initially they will receive remedial classes in computer literacy, and then move to classes on digital video production and editing, Web design, robotics and video game design.
The students also will be connected with digital pen pals in other countries where there are Fort Worth Sister Cities, which means in addition to the science and math components they also will be exposed to geography, language, art and social studies.
While targeting students from Title 1 schools, the program will be strictly voluntary and will insist on parental involvement.
"In most homes [the student’s] will be the only computer device," Brooks said. "This makes computer training available for the entire family, thereby giving us a generational impact."
Board said this is the kind of program that ought to appeal to area corporations because "these kids will be their future work force."
In the third year of Generation Hope Laptop, it will be serving 480 students, and that is certain to have a major impact on the schools these kids attend, their individual districts and our community as a whole.
Most of all, there will be a lasting influence on each individual who participates. And that’s what counts.
What a great idea.
Marion and Marie Brooks would be most proud.
Bob Ray Sanders’ column appears Sundays and Wednesdays. 817-390-7775
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