Whew…that time went by fast, didn’t it?!
Truthfully, we’ve been talking with some high school students and they’ve mentioned that, socially, school just hasn’t been the same since the pandemic. We really hurt knowing that kids aren’t getting the full social experience from school that we once had.
Given our name, our natural response is how do we fix it? And the answer is we have to go even harder to curate spaces where Black kids feel safe, comfortable enough to engage with one another in positive ways, and empowered enough to carry those experiences with them back to their schools.
From an academic perspective, we’re worried that they aren’t being challenged enough on a critical level. Again, how do we fix that? We ask questions and force them to bring solutions. The curriculum that we present in FTBK Academy, Young Entrepreneurs Seminars, and workshops allows our youth to think critically about systemic issues, oppression, education, and their futures.
The easiest thing for us to do is just give a response, it takes more work to endure the awkward silence while they think and ask questions that spark answers.
So if you interact with youth in any way, we encourage you to encourage them as they return to school. The social component, in combination with the academic responsibilities, can be challenging for a lot of students. So, let’s do our best to not only challenge them but also champion them as they take on this next year!