Abstract
The chapter explores the critical need for schools in high poverty communities to foster collaborative associations with influential partners that will offer children pathways to greater opportunities for success. An ecological systems model is presented to explain ways in which school-community partnerships are essential for disrupting the poverty cycle and expanding the cultural capital of children in rural and urban settings. Further, the chapter identifies and discusses the specialized talents and proficiencies needed to come into heretofore neglected rural and urban communities and transform schools, rejuvenate teachers, mobilize parents, and empower students to excel academically.
TopOverview
The link between childhood destitution and quality of life in adulthood is well documented, as studies confirm that babies born into generational poverty have an exponentially greater chance of struggling in school and becoming habitually unemployed as adults (Jones-Morales & Konrad, 2018; Ratcliffe, 2015; Ratcliffe & McKernan, 2010). Too often, these children become victims of indifferent systems where their innate talents are rarely uncovered and their potential for success is never leveraged. The single most powerful force with the capacity to disrupt the cycle of intergenerational poverty is providing children with an exemplary public education that fortifies their chances of graduating high school and attending a technical school or baccalaureate college that prepares them for rewarding careers (Ciccolo, 2008). Yet, too many public schools in high poverty communities struggle to provide children with these life altering experiences and merely serve as warehouses for the duration of years in which they are required to attend school (Ewing, 2018; Hirn et al., 2018; Thompson, 2011). Using the lens of ecological systems theory, this chapter explores ways in which public education can become a formidable force in transforming the lives of children and their families.
Key Terms in this Chapter
School Partnerships: Structured alliances between schools and external agencies designed to broaden the awareness of students.
Intergenerational Poverty: Economic destitution that continues unabated from parents to children over multiple years.
Urban: Municipalities located in densely populated cities.
Open Systems: Recognition of the multiplicity of interactive forces, institutions, and experiences that affect the human journey.
Rural: Less populated communities that typically consist of agriculture acreage.
Cultural Capital: the accumulation of intellectual knowledge, material goods, and societal exposures valued within a civilization.
Ecological Systems: The multitude of peripheral customs and exposures that influence the human experience.
Closed Systems: A bounded entity that does not recognize input from external forces.