The Klondike Smokey City Neighborhood has been chosen to be the pilot for the Whole Child Strategy. The Whole Child Strategy’s objective is to make sure that every child in Shelby County graduates from high school college or career ready. The goal is to develop a Neighborhood Council. The council will have parents, high school students, residents, and other individuals and groups that have vested interest in the neighborhood. Its role is to identify and address issues that keep students from getting to school daily and prepared to learn. To help identify the issues, the council will focus on the three indicators of poor attendance, behavior and course performance. These indicators will lend a great view on how they impact a student’s future.
The KSC Neighborhood Council will not shoulder this task alone. It has the support of the Klondike Smokey City CDC and the Community Outreach Team. The CDC and the COT have worked closely in developing and implementing strategies to recruit members of the community for the purpose of participating in the neighborhood meetings as well as conduct the meetings independently for the COT. The goal is to get the community involved, engaged and familiar with the wrap around services that are tailored made for the neighborhood and with Whole Child Strategies.
To get and keep the community engaged, we are featuring the talents of students who attend the neighborhood schools and provide solutions to issues that were expressed in previous meetings. We have started implementing this approach to attract meeting participants for the January 25, 2018 meeting. Please join us as we start the new year with a new approach.
The KSC Neighborhood meetings are at Dave Wells Community Center every 3rd Thursday of every month. Keep an eye out in the newsletter for more information about the project. If you have any questions, or you’re interested in joining our work, contact organizer Cassandra M. Smith at cassandra@midsouthpeace.org.