Pamoja Preparatory Academy

African-centeredEducation

Pamoja means Together

You help me and let me help you.Bertha Knox GilkeyPamoja PreparatoryAcademy @ Cole

Thank you for viewing this presentation about African-centered Education at Bertha Knox Gilkey Pamoja Preparatory Academy @ Cole. We are part of St. Louis Public Schools, and we are in the process of becoming an African-centered school. Please follow along and take notes as we go through this overview about African-centered education. If, at the end, you decide you want to learn more about our school, then click the link at the bottom.1

AgendaHow Gilkey Pamoja Cole (GPC) is just like any other SLPS schoolHow GPC is different from all other SLPS schoolsIdentity

During this presentation, we will look at how our school is just like any other SLPS school, what makes our school different from any other SLPS school, well look at the crucial subject of Identity, and then we will be done.2

How Pamoja is Like Any Other SLPS SchoolSame grade levelspre-K thru 8thSame subjects taughtReading, Writing, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Art, Physical Education, etc.Same report card grade criteriaS = Satisfactory N = Needs ImprovementCurriculum meets all requirements of the State of MissouriHigh-quality staffTeachers are certified through the State of Missouri Department of Education80% of staff hold graduate degreesUniform School

Pamoja is just like any other SLPS school we have the same grade levels in fact, we are one of only 2 SLPSs who has Early Childhood, Elementary and Middle School grades all under the same roof. We teach the same core subjects Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies AND the same ancillary classes art, PE, music, & library.We have the same grading system, our curriculum is state-approved, and our teachers are highly qualified.

Now that we have looked at how Pamoja is the same as any other SLP school, now lets look at what makes Pamoja different.

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How Pamoja is Different From All Other SLPS SchoolsPamoja Delivers African-Centered Education to its Enrolled Families

Those are the way we are just like any other SLPS. Now were going to look at the uniqueness of Bertha Know Gilkey Pamoja Preparatory Academy @ Cole. We embrace, and are in the process of implementing, African-centered Education. We are often asked, what is African-centered Education?4

What is African Centered Education?What is Education?What is the Purpose of Education?

In order to define African-centered Education, we will first define Education, and the purpose of Education. If our child were to come up to you and ask, Daddy, Mama, what is Education? What would be your answer?5

EducationTeaching and learningWhat you need to get a jobSomething we all needTrainingProviding schoolingThe process of giving or receiving systematic instruction

These are common responses people give when asked, What is Education? Some common dictionary definitions are listed as well. The problem with these definitions is, they are incomplete. The Black community, in particular, is at a disadvantage because we do not define Education correctly, and that lack of a complete definition is one of the reasons our community is in the condition were in. Now we will look at the way the rest of the world defines Education.6

Working Definition of EducationA process that equips a student tomeet the challenges and solve the problems that affect a people

What people?

This is a short definition of Education a process that equips a student to meet the challenges and solve the problems that affect a people. The majority of Black people have never heard Education defined this way. This definition expands our understanding of Education, but were not through. We will come back to What People? in a couple of minutes.7

Education:teaches _______, _______, & _______IdentityPurposeDirection

Going deeper: Education teaches us Identity who we are. Education teaches us our Purpose why were here. Education teaches us Direction the way to achieve our Purpose, given who we are, our Identity.8

EducationEquips students with the _____ & ______ necessary to ensure the ________ of a people and advance their ________ & ____________.WillGrowthSurvivalSkillsDevelopment

Going deeper: Education equips us with the Will that is, the desire, as well as the Skills reading, writing, math, science, etc. to make sure a people survives, grows and develops. Up til now, our understanding of the definition of Education has been the learning of Skills, but the Will - the desire to ensure the survival, growth and development of a people is just as important. Lets take our community for example: We have people in our community who genuinely want to improve and strengthen our community, but dont know how. They lack Skills. ALSO, we have a large number of people in our community who have important skills there are many Black builders, politicians, medical professionals, law professionals, farmers and educators. Black people head major corporations, have crucial problem-solving skills but do not apply those skills to the our needs. These people lack the Will. Will and Skills are equally important.9

Education cont.Develops __________, ________, _____________ & ____________, to the group who created the educational process and that groups _______.AllegianceResponsibilityAccountabilityCultureRespect

Going deeper: Education develops within us Allegiance Respect, Responsibility and Accountability TO THE GROUP WHO CREATED THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS, as well as that groups culture; their way of life; their values, their beliefs, how they look at the world, how they do things; their culture.10

All Groups of People Set Up Education For Their CitizensFrenchJapaneseIraniansItaliansAmericansBoy ScoutsBaptistsSeventh Day AdventistsCatholicsJews

Every people sets up an educational system to teach its children and citizens. The left side lists countries; whole nations who educate their people. Thats why, when a French person comes to America, he brings French ways with him because he was brought up in a French educational system, and when an American goes abroad, he takes his American ways with him because he was trained in an American Educational system. The right side lists just 5 of the thousands of subgroups in the United States. Boy Scouts have a separate system that teaches boys to call themselves Boy Scouts and to advance the agenda of Boy Scouts, which includes teaching other boys to identify as Boy Scouts and to learn & spread Boy Scout ways. Religious organizations have schools that teach their believers about their religion to make sure their religious influence grows. If they dont do that, their way of expressing their relationship with The Creator will wither away. Jews deserve a special shout out because they have Education on Lock! No one teaches Jewish children but Jews. In fact, wherever there is a significant number of Jews, a school pops up. So does a hospital. So does a bank. Jews are CLEAR about Education.11

Education makes sure students:Have (or Adopt) an Identity, Purpose & Direction that is in the groups best interestsHave the will (desire) and skills to ensures the survival and advancement of that groupDevelop the allegiance, respect, responsibility and accountability to the educating group and that groups culture.

So to summarize, Education is a system set up by a people that equips a student with Identity, Purpose and Direction, as well as with the will and skills to advance that group. Going through an educational process develops within the student Allegiance, Respect, Responsibility and Accountability to that group, causing the student to believe and value what the group believes and values; AND to do things and view the world the same way the group does things and views the world; to take on that groups culture. Now that weve defined Education, we can define African-centered Education.12

African-Centered Education Equips Its Students WithAn ______ identity, purpose and directionThe will and skills necessary to ensure the survival of ______ people and advance ______ growth & developmentThe allegiance, respect, responsibility and accountability to ______ people and _______ culture

AfricanAfricanAfricanAfricanAfrican

African-centered Education is the same as Education, with the addition of one word African. African-centered Education does what Education does. It simply directs all those crucial components to the benefit of African people, Black people.

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Working Definition ofAfrican-centered EducationA process that equips a student tomeet the challenges and solve the problems that affect African people

Historically, the larger society has trained Black, or African, people, to meet the larger societys challenges and solve their problems, and we do that; and the way we have been conditioned to do that has been to the detriment of our own families and community. African-centered Education solves that by teaching students to meet the challenges and solve the problems of African people.14

Who Said This Is What We Need?Great Black Thinkers, Scholars & Organizations

Chancellor WilliamsAmos WilsonJ A RogersHaki MadhubutiMaulana KarengaMarcus GarveyFrederick Douglass Institute in St. Louis, MOCouncil of Independent Black Institutions NationalMany, many, many more

Who says we need African-centered education to strengthen our families and communities? The people who have studied the problems of Black people. Here are just a few scholars, organizations and thinkers who have studied our condition throughout the generations, and they agree. African-centered Education is key to strengthening our families and communities. It is for this reason, SLPS has seen fit to open Bertha Knox Gilkey Pamoja Preparatory Academy @ Cole. We are in the process of becoming St. Louiss first African-centered PUBLIC school! We say, in the process because we are not an African-centered school yet. Why? Because the people in it are not yet African-centered! We are in the process of learning and implementing the tenets of African-centered education, and it begins with correctly defining it so everyone involved staff, parents and students are working together to become an African-centered school.15

What makes it African Centered?

Comes from our perspectiveAnswers Why?Answers To whose benefit?

Its important for us to spread this understanding of African-centered education because we need to make sure we are actually doing it. We know we actively implementing African-centered education, versus a different-centered education, because it comes from our perspective; it is US telling Our story about us in OUR way instead of using someone elses view of us and our story in THEIR way. It answers, Why are we learning reading, writing, arithmetic? Why do I have to go to school? AND well know our efforts are African-centered because African, or Black, people will be the ones who benefit. We dont have to be the only ones who benefit, but it is intelligent for us to benefit First from our efforts.16

Fundamental Discussion - IdentityWhy we identify ourselves as AfricanLand MassAppearanceCommon Past & Present

Are you comfortable with your children calling themselves and you African?

This brings us to the last and perhaps the most important - slide in this presentation. Identity is where it begins. At Bertha Knox Gilkey Pamoja Preparatory Academy @ Cole we say that Black people are Africans, and we say that for 3 main reasons: #1, All other people in the world identify themselves according to the land mass from which their people originate, not the land in which they themselves were born. For us, and other Black people all over the world, thats Africa. #2, the people who look like us same skin, hair, eyes, body types, etc. are located on the continent commonly known as Africa. Finally, We share a common history with Africans, a common present condition, and likely a common future. It is for these reasons we say Black people are African people at our school. If any parent is considering enrolling their family, please know our African identity is not a subject of debate within the walls of our school. Parents have to be completely comfortable, embracing, of an African identity for themselves and their family.17

Thank You!!

Thank you so very much for giving your time and attention to this presentation. If you would like to proceed to the next enrollment step, please click the link below to complete our African-centered Education Affirmation of Understanding. Have a wonderful day!

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