Student voices shape educational strategy

Junior Achievement of Georgia’s 3DE program meets students where they are – in the classroom. It connects educational concepts to real-world experiences to heighten students’ appreciation for academics and fuel long-term career aspirations. Each year, the culmination of the program is a capstone project, which gives the students real experiences interacting with real businesses.

This year, the Community Foundation had the opportunity to serve as the first ever nonprofit capstone partner for ninth grade students at Dr. Ronald E. McNair High School in DeKalb County. The theme for this project was collaboration, and our Prosperous People team members were especially excited because this project would allow students to have direct input into our educational funding strategy by sharing their ideas, rather than adults making decisions for them.

Several fantastic ideas were put forth, but the “winning” project speaks to the current struggle that students are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wanda Charles-Henley, the students’ technology and business teacher, was elated. “Especially during a hybrid learning environment, there is a real need. I still have students that struggle to log in. Teachers are learning platforms often as we roll them out to our students. I was so excited by the solution that they proposed.”

In a continuation of the collaborative theme, our Prosperous People team has launched a new initiative in partnership with local nonprofit organizations to improve equitable education learning models post-COVID-19. The learning institute proposed by McNair High School students was one of the ideas brought to the table, giving it an opportunity to be implemented in the real world.

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“This program makes the classroom come to life. It makes a connection between what I teach and what students’ interests are. In a virtual environment, it keeps the kids excited and the wheels start turning.” – Wanda Charles-Henley, business and technology teacher at Dr. Ronald E. McNair High School

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