CORE | Coalition for Residential Education

Residential education programs nationwide celebrated the inaugural National Residential Education Day on May 6. Below are a few highlights and photos of events that lifted the visibility of this option for at-risk youth:

(Above) Boys’ Home, Inc. in Covington, VA held an Open House event entitled “Head and Shoulders Day” for community leaders, Board members, supporters, and other guests, which featured displays showcasing campus activities, including videos on the Hiking and Rock Climbing Club and the Weightlifting Club. A month-long, campus-wide reading marathon was also put in place leading up to National Residential Education Day, with the number of books read greatly surpassing the goal.

(Above) Crossnore School in Crossnore, NC also held an Open House event for local and county leaders, all county Department of Social Services staff, supporters, and the community, which included a campus-wide assembly and presentation featuring several former Crossnore students who benefited from living and learning at this high-quality residential education program.

(Above) Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children organized “A Voice for Residential Education” Capitol Hill Day with children from several of their campuses around the state who visited local legislators, sharing their and alums’ personal stories of how residential education transforms lives.

What is National Residential Education Day?

National Residential Education Day is an annual opportunity for residential education programs to reach out on the local level to key policymakers, media, funders, and the community at large with awareness-building activities. This day-long national public awareness event is a concerted and powerful platform upon which to increase recognition and understanding of residential education and the important services it provides for children, families, and communities.

The month of May is National Foster Care Month. Across the country, leading child welfare organizations are coming together to increase awareness about foster care. This gives the residential education field an opportunity to leverage national efforts that raise awareness of the needs of at-risk children — and the promising and effective residential education programs that serve these children.

One day in May – this year May 6, residential education programs nationwide concentrate their efforts to reach out to local media, policymakers, decision-makers, and the community at large — greatly enhancing visibility of this crucial option for at-risk youth.

A Sampling of Events That Took Place Around the Country:

• “Open House” events and student-led campus tours, with invitations to the media, legislators, county social workers, supporters, alumni, and the community
• Campus-wide assemblies featuring presentations from youth who benefited from living and learning at a residential education program
• “Power Lunch” with key state legislators and local decision-makers
• Month-long series of inspirational speakers on campus for students, entitled “Power and Pizza”
• Student-made film – “A day in the life of…” with stories of several children living at a residential education program
• Student and alumni letter-writing campaigns to congressmen about the benefits of residential education
• Radio interviews discussing the crucial services residential education offers youth
• Student talent shows, houseparent and teacher “shadow” day, and special meals and festivities bringing together staff, supporters, and children
• Tying National Residential Education Day into the Philadelphia City Council honoring Girard College for 160 years of service to at-risk youth

Press Coverage Included:

• Residential Education to Be Honored, The Index-Journal
• Boys’ Home, Inc. Plans National Residential Education Day Celebration, The Allegheny Journal
• National Residential Education Day to Recognize Methodist Children’s Home, The United Methodist Reporter
• Former Resident Example of Why Methodist Children’s Home Will Receive Honor, North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church

We look forward to having you join us in next year’s efforts!

Congratulations to the winners of the first annual National Residential Education Essay Contests:

Student Essay Contest Winners:
First Place – Carlos M., Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch, Live Oak, FL
Second Place – Ugo U., Girard College, Philadelphia, PA
Third Place – Danielle M., Milton Hershey School, Hershey, PA

Honorable Student Mentions:
Nathaniel S., Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches
Kelsey F., Florida Sheriffs Youth Villa
Victoria M., Milton Hershey School

Alumni Essay Contest Winners:
First Place – Marcus Wright, Girard College Alumnus
Second Place – Heather Reed, Methodist Children’s Home of Texas Alumna
Third Place – Wayne Scott James, Connie Maxwell Children’s Home Alumnus

Responding to the student essay contest question “How has living and learning at a residential education program impacted your life?” Carlos M. of Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch says:

The Ranch is a better community to help me with my behavior. They are teaching me to deal with my problems and attitude. It has stopped me from doing the things that got me in trouble. Without the Ranch, I would be locked up or on the streets. I am getting to know a lot of people, but not just anyone. Cottage parents, teachers, and counselors help you make good choices. I am thankful for my cottage parents helping me with my ups and downs and through tough situations.

My school notes are improving and I am in class learning every day. My class behavior has improved, and so have my grades. I want to get back on track and take advantage of the opportunities I have been given.

I have apologized to my Mom for giving her a hard time. She worked 11 hours a day just to feed, cloth, and shelter me. She works too hard for me to treat her bad. I am sorry, Mom, I love you. I am blessed to have a chance to change my life. By coming to the Florida Sheriffs Boys Ranch, my family and I have a chance to turn my ways around. I wish many other boys could have this chance.

Ugo U. discusses the unique opportunities she has had at Girard College and the positive influence of her peers and staff:

Being in a residential education program has given me the support system that one can only dream of having during elementary, middle, and high school. As I grew up in the tight-knit community of Girard College, the connections I made with the faculty and alumni became unbreakable. If I asked for something, full attention and support was paid. This summer, I had the amazing opportunity to spend eight weeks at Harvard University taking classes and experiencing college life.

In a way, my peers have become my extended family. They are always there when I need them. They have seen me grow and go through the most personal trials and tribulations. Consequently, they have become the strong boulder I need when I am unable to hold myself up. I do not think the same kind of relationships can be formed at a non-residential school.

Being at Girard helped me develop a sense of independence. Now, when I am about to head out to college, I am not afraid of being away from home. I have already acquired the skills necessary to successfully enter the real world.

The time of my life when I entered Girard College has always been a bittersweet memory. It was bitter because I had just lost my parents and was about to leave my friends as well. I did not see it then, but it was also sweet. It was sweet because it set me up to be prepared for the world and gave me an infallible support system as I enter the real world. Entrance to my boarding school was the greatest thing that happened to me.

Danielle M. of Milton Hershey School writes:

I am confident when I say I would not be the person I am today without the experiences I have within residential education. I almost wish I would have come sooner. I’m so thankful not only because of what it has done for me but for what it will do for others.

I’ve met people that have helped me make it through the hard times and have ultimately given me the courage to make it through this challenging life. I’ve learned so much about diversity, youth, and about the struggles that people face day in and day out. Residential education has made me more responsible and mature. It has developed me into a role model for my younger peers and it has established me with the qualities I need to be successful in life.

A lot of people believe that residential education is a horrible idea and that it only causes problems. But that clearly is not true, I am a witness. It builds each individual and prepares them for society. It gives those students around the world the chance to succeed in life, and make a promising life for themselves and their future families.

Responding to the alumni essay contest question “How has your residential education experience impacted your life?” Marcus Wright, Girard College alumnus, writes:

Without Girard, I do not think I would understand the beauty of camaraderie; how the peer you don’t know or may not share many traits with would soon feel like a brother or sister to you. How the man or woman years older than you that you never met before could feel like a mother or father, and would be there for you just like one. Without Girard, I would not know the greatness of community, and the importance of giving your time and your energy to others. The education I received at Girard was not just about math and science. It was about the importance of the person next to you, and the sacrifices of the person watching over you. It taught me to appreciate so much in myself, in people, and in life.

I did not know what Girard College had in store for me. But from the second I met my residential advisor, it all fell into place. I was going to grow. I was going to mature, and I was going to become something special because of Girard. I could feel it then, and I have felt it ever since.

CORE received dozens of compelling submissions from students and alumni, and thanks everyone who shared their thoughts and personal stories.