One effective innovative idea for motivating and inspiring high school students to appreciate learning and strive for excellence is to not just teach students about the community, but to make room in the curriculum for community leaders on every level to come inside the classrooms.  When students can hear the actual live testimonies of successful, striving community leaders, many students will have a better understanding of their purpose for attending school and graduating in the first place. Knowing why you are there is a vital understanding for all gatherings.

Graduation programs such as the American Promise Alliance, Civic Enterprises, Alliance for Excellent Education and the Everybody Graduates Center, have made great impacts on high school graduation in recent years by promoted various initiatives to push students toward graduation. Schools in Texas, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky and Wisconsin with its number of choice school programs have made noticeable gains in high school graduations. However, the rate of change is still too slow if the nation is to reach a 90 percent graduation rate around 2020. Many other schools are still far behind.

A curriculum program that includes bringing community leaders inside the classroom offers students an escape from the boredom of regular instruction. The message of community leaders will give students a variety of choices when considering their career after high school graduation.  For instance, students will have a keen knowledge of the on-hand tools and skills needed to succeed as a business man or woman, a doctor, a lawyer or a retailer within a community.  Community leaders can teach students how to set goals as well as how to form strategies for reaching those goals. The bottom line is that community leaders can provide four years of role modeling that can greatly empower and inspire high school students to graduate instead of dropping out.

The impact of community leaders on underperforming high schools cannot be overstated when considering the results of failing high schools across America. Low test scores, low motivation, high student drop outs, challenging behavior and overwhelmed teachers are problems that must be corrected in all schools across America. Bringing community leaders, on all levels, into the classroom can go a long way in helping to solve some of these problems.

Community leaders across all fields include those in business, government, law enforcement; perform arts, religion as well as professional moms with strong families. Business leaders can provide students with the knowledge of how to write a business plan, how to open and run a business. Government leaders can teach students how to get involved in government issues regarding law and legislation as well as how to run for office and become government officials.  Law enforcement leaders can teach students how to protect their communities from drugs, violence and crime. Students may be inspired to become police officers or federal agents.  Performing arts professional can inspire students to become involved in the arts. Many students are gifted in music, painting, drawing, dancing and singing. Religious leaders can inform students regarding the morality needed to keep a community strong and safe. Strong communities treat people with respect and goodwill. Last but not least, strong parents with successful families can also provide an effective message on becoming a model family for a community. Students must be aware that a strong community depends on the oneness and success of every family within a community.

The impact of community leaders upon high schools can go a long way in motivating students to pursue excellence. A community leader’s high school initiative can help produce well informed and goal oriented students with a strong attitude of building and maintaining a successful community. Many high school students may be inspired to become leaders who are inclined to lead their communities into a bright future.

1. Amanda Paulson. (2012). US High school Graduation Rate Inches Past 75 Percent. Christian Science Monitor. Web. Retrieved on 03/20/2012

Why are inner cities schools not meeting the needs of African American children? One major need of students is an environment that reflects the one from which they come. From the time children leave home until they arrive at school, they hear music, feel rhythms, and receive love. Schools can produce successful students if they operate according to children’s needs.

 Children live in homes where music is a soothing source of meditation. They attend churches where choirs belt out melodious sounds.  They ride in cars where radios are on before the car starts. Their family members hum and sing throughout the day. Once students arrive on campus, they should hear music playing – music that reflects success, not failure.

 African American students come from a rich history of dance. The dance is innate and will be with them always. Just watch young students tapping on the desk and wiggling around. The movement and rhythm they feel comes naturally. Gather their talents and use them to teach any subject matter.

 Love is the most important recipe for success in any arena. Parents and guardians send their children to school fully expecting them to have the same smile on their face that they left them with in the morning. Would you like someone screaming at your child? If you do not love children, then you should not be in the business of educating. Many people believe they are qualified to deal with children, but the schooling experience they received may not be like the challenge they meet. Children know when someone loves them.

 Educating children is one of the most rewarding experiences one can have. Your heart and soul need to be in it. One must remember that children learn from experience as well as instruction. If their educational experience incorporates music, dance, and love, they will become learners in their own right.