Our Philosophy
Less than 10% of high school students living in poverty in Madison are proficient in reading and math. Too many see no opportunity in their future and show little motivation in school. Numerous studies have established a clear correlation between poor educational performance and crime. We know that generations are stuck in the cycle of poverty. Too many high school students graduate with no career direction, poor financial literacy, are physically and emotionally unhealthy, and disinterested in contributing to their community. We believe the best opportunity to fix this is through the public education system.
At the Forward Career & College Academy, we aim to cast a new vision for students by exposing them to career possibilities across a myriad of sectors. Our vision is fueled by the belief that students should be prepared for post-secondary success whether they choose to attend a university, community college, tech school, or go directly into the workforce.
Workforce readiness.
Sadly, most students are not provided with any exposure to different career options and how to access well-paying jobs that are in high demand. The expectation of failure provides no incentive to engage in education. Even college-bound students need to better understand career options. This will help them focus their studies more effectively.
Forward Academy will make career exploration a primary focus involving intensive personal counseling and interaction. Each student will be addressed as an individual with unique challenges and opportunities. Counselors will work with students one on one to determine the student’s interests, aptitudes, abilities, challenges and motivations. The goal will be to provide them with guidance and mentorship to help them establish a vision and realize that they have career options that are in their control.
The freshman year will involve an individualized evaluation of the students to determine the support needed to bring them to grade level and to determine what other services may be required to assist with the social-emotional needs of the students. Our goal is to have all students guided by a comprehensive individual Student Improvement Plan.
In their Junior and Senior years, the curriculum will include off-campus paid internships in their area of interest. We will partner with local businesses who are in need of workers. Many businesses have been struggling to fill vacancies and we have already talked to several who are excited to be part of this new vision.
Physical & emotional health.
Physical and emotional health are critical to living a long, successful life and critical to our society and economy. This country is facing a crisis in both. Although traditional public education attempts to address this, we believe we can do more. Statistics support that belief. A disturbing 46% of Americans are obese and the trend lines are heading in the wrong direction. An equally disturbing 49% of adolescents report having had at least one emotional/mental health crisis. These numbers are even more drastic for people in poverty.
We will focus on nutrition and physical exercise and why they are important. Young people need to understand the difference between highly processed and natural foods and what they do to your body. We need to counter the marketing of unhealthy foods with information so they can make informed choices. We will expose students to the various forms of physical exercise and teach them the benefits for their health. Students will develop skills in stress management, mindfulness, conflict resolution, and meditation. We will deal substantively with drug and alcohol use and specifically how these substances can damage their brain, body and general health. Students will learn from a neuroscience perspective how these toxins work. Just like with food choices, students need to be armed with the latest science so they can make truly informed choices.
Financial literacy.
Traditional public schools offer little education in what it takes to manage finances, avoid debt traps, build wealth, and opportunities in entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, too many people are unprepared to manage their finances, save and invest, and build wealth for their future. An astonishing 46% of credit card holders have revolving unpaid balances that cost an average of 27% interest per year. More than one in four Americans have savings below $1,000. There is a substantial racial wealth gap in this country.
We will teach students how to manage their finances by budgeting with a goal to save and invest. We will show them the options and vehicles for investing, how compound interest works, why and how to build wealth, and how they can build their own business. This will open their eyes to opportunities which many have not seen in their life experience. They will learn the basic skills needed to leverage the income they can expect from the career they select.
Civics & citizenship.
Once a student is prepared with good career direction, financial skills, and physical and emotional awareness, the final important component in their success is engagement with their community. Young people should be aware of real, authentic news. Too much critical information about current events and issues is condensed into brief sound bites or distorted by biased media. We will empower students with the tools necessary to continue their pursuit of truth.
Too often people have become disengaged from critical events around them or are making decisions without accurate information. We intend to encourage students to pay attention to important events around them, encourage them to get involved and to vote. We will discuss current events that impact and interest our students. We will help them understand the founding principles of our country, how it works and how to make change when inequalities or injustices exist. Finally, we want to establish the value in giving back to the community through volunteer work and philanthropy. Our democracy will only work properly when citizens are informed, participate and recognize the importance of giving back to the community.
