Until March, Gabriel and Constancia Merrill had both worked to provide food to seniors, she preparing the meals and he delivering them.
But now, the couple has found themselves on the receiving end of food assistance after losing those jobs.
Focus Area: DC Initiatives
We give back to the community that has given so much to us.
Student Parent Voices Are Critical To Colleges’ Civic Engagement Plans
Connection. Belonging. A sense of community. These are critical to students feeling like they are a part of their college community. Yet, far too many parenting college students feel alone on their campuses. Generation Hope’s national student parent survey found that 40% of student parents felt isolated at their institutions.
Measuring the Whole Student Landscape Review of Traditional and Holistic Approaches
As colleges and universities work to enhance student success, they frequently use traditional outcome-based metrics—such as graduation rates, year-to-year retention, and post-graduation employment—to define that “success.” These measurements, which throughout this report we refer to as traditional metrics, are often prioritized across higher education given their impact on and consequences toward institutional decision-making, benchmarking, and most importantly, funding. While these quantitative metrics can provide a useful—albeit limited—view into student experiences inside and outside of the classroom, they often focus on first-time, full-time, degree/certificate-seeking students, who are more likely to be found at four-year institutions.
‘It’s a lot to juggle’: College students with children are overwhelmed this school year
By 7:45 a.m., A’Ja Ross, 26, has helped her son, Ti’Andre Williams, log in to his fourth-grade class at Perrywood Elementary School in Largo, Md. She stays close by in case he has any trouble understanding an assignment.
Between his reading, math and science classes, Ross carves out time for her own homework from the five courses she’s taking at Prince George’s Community College. When the school day ends at 2 p.m. for her son, Ross dives right back into her assignments before starting work in the advising office of the community college at 4 p.m.
Reimagining Higher Ed for Equity and Student Parent Success
The first college in the United States, Harvard University (then Harvard College), was founded in 1636, and its legacy and history are bound up with the exploitation of slave labor. The College of William & Mary, founded in 1693, came next, funded in part by its own tobacco plantation. These early colonial colleges cemented the blueprint for the higher ed system that we know today.
OPINION: Why Black student parents are at the epicenter of the student debt crisis — and what we can do about it
When I graduated with a bachelor’s degree from William & Mary in 2003, I desperately needed a job. I was the mother of a 4-year-old daughter, and I was consumed by worries about child care, the car note for my used Honda Civic and saving for my own apartment. In addition, I had $30,000 in student debt.
In recent years, as U.S. student loan debt climbed to $1.6 trillion, the country has finally begun to talk about the punishing financial costs of obtaining a college degree. But the singular toll on students like me — Black parents — continues to go largely unremarked upon.
Viewpoint: Let’s talk — and learn — amongst ourselves
One thing we Americans normally don’t lack is our ability to talk.
From council meetings to Capitol Hill, from 24-hour cable commentary to fan theories that delve into the vagaries of “Star Wars” droid sidekicks, our comfort zone is in constant conversation.
How to Support Student Parents
A nonprofit advocacy organization for students who are also parents has released a tool kit with recommendations for how colleges can best support those students.
Generation Hope held a focus group in July with the teen student parents it serves in the Washington, D.C., area. The Seldin/Haring-Smith Foundation provided funding to create the tool kit.
Research Report: Balancing Speed, Equity, and Impact during a Crisis
The COVID-19 public health and economic crisis has changed our world as we know it. As employers moved to remote work, schools shifted to distance learning, and businesses closed completely, it became clear that the impact on residents, nonprofits, and businesses was far greater than anyone could have ever imagined. In response to the growing and evolving needs of our region, the Greater Washington Community Foundation established the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to raise and rapidly deploy funding to local nonprofits providing food, shelter, educational supports, and other critical services.
Black Voices for Black Justice Fund Launches to Support Activists Working to Create an Anti-Racist America
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–As the U.S. continues an unprecedented racial reckoning following the deaths and continued pursuit of justice for countless Black Americans including Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, an innovative new fund is supporting Black leaders on the frontlines of shaping the urgent movement to build a fair, equitable, and anti-racist America. The Black Voices for Black Justice Fund launched today with an initial $2 million investment – with the goal of raising over $10 million – to support Black leaders as they seize this unparalleled opportunity to advance racial justice.