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We partner with Ravenswood School in hopes of ensuring a powerful future for young people in our neighborhood. We produce the “Reality Fair,” a three-dimensional manifestation of the popular board game Life. This virtual game teaches 8th graders practical life skills through choices and financial realities, and it helps students consider their futures.
For more information, contact Helen at realityfair@ravenswoodcommunityservices.org.
Our newest program, “focus:future,” is an outreach program that provides mentoring and motivational support to the seventh and eighth grade students at Ravenswood Elementary school.
Navigating the process of applying to high schools in the city is involved and confusing. We strive to help our young people by providing information and clarification as well as motivating them to consider a range of options based on their interests and abilities. Mentors meet with students every other week through Christmas break. We are also in close contact with the school regarding visits by high school representatives, other pertinent speakers and related activities. We have also scheduled one speaker who presented to the seventh and eighth grade classes.
We have just finished working with our first group of students. Fifteen mentors from Ravenswood Community Services and from the greater community worked closely with 61 eighth graders to help them make decisions about their high school choices.
We hope to bring student mentor ratio down from 4:1 to 2:1, provide additional opportunities for mentor volunteers to familiarize themselves with individual schools through organized visits, orientations, etc., begin working with students earlier in the school year, work more closely with guidance counselor and school staff to build greater awareness and support of program and to integrate into classroom curriculum, clear avenues for mentors to work with students outside of the school day, and develop a program for the seventh grade year to keep students engaged and thinking forward about high school and beyond.
For more information, contact Jennifer at focusfuture@ravenswoodcommunityservices.org.
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