WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JULY 2, 2020 13
Virtual mentoring can provide critical
support to NYC’s students of color
BY AARON BARNETTE
The COVID-19 pandemic and the
long-overdue outcry against
police brutality have disrupted
the lives of New York City’s children
and are rapidly turning existing issues
of inequity into dire crises.
Students of color are the most likely
to fall through the cracks. Boys of color
in particular have been systematically
under-served in terms of their emotional
wellbeing. For many, school
provides a needed source of stability
and community, but now learning virtually
and facing a summer with few
options to keep them engaged, they are
without their support networks, leaving
them disconnected and potentially
unable to process these stressors.
We must fi nd a way to keep our
boys engaged through their school
communities.
It is crucially important for our
schools to invest in virtual mentoring
programs for all New York City
students. By connecting students with
one another and trained staff , virtual
group mentoring sessions are an eff ective
way to ensure that every child is
socially and emotionally supported.
Group mentoring sessions provide
space for students to connect over their
shared experiences and work together
to fi nd solutions to issues they face.
They can also off er an opportunity to
introduce students to topics that are
crucial to their development outside
of school.
At the Eagle Academy Foundation
schools, a network of public schools
focused on educating boys of color
across the fi ve boroughs of New York
City and Newark, NJ, our students
and staff have shown us the value of
school-wide virtual support networks.
Students who are engaged in these
programs are aff orded another level
of support that ensures they are continuing
to learn and on track to reach
important emotional and educational
milestones.
With many summer programs now
shut down and parents returning to
work, the need to conduct regular
virtual mentoring sessions is becoming
even more apparent. As the summer
already poses an increased risk
of learning loss for students of color,
this will be a crucial period in which
we can either step up and support our
students or allow an entire generation
of vulnerable youth to fall behind.
The DOE and Mayor de Blasio must
OP-ED
make a commitment to support our
students by making mentoring and
counseling available to all New York
City students. Partners in the public
and private sectors must be leveraged
to provide mentoring opportunities.
We must rise to this challenge and
create lasting models that can help us
better engage all students — especially
those that have been historically marginalized.
By taking these vital steps
now, we will establish a needed tool to
assist our students during this time.
Only by providing this emotional
support can we stem a looming crisis
in the life outcomes of our young men
and set them up for better futures.
Aaron Barnette is the director of strategic
partnerships and mentoring for the
Eagle Schools network.
SNAPS
A GREAT VIEW OF THE WHITESTONE BRIDGE
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY LEANN BUGARIN
Send us your photos of Queens
and you could see them online or in our paper!
To submit them to us, tag @qnsgram on Instagram,
visit our Facebook page, tweet @QNS
or email editorial@qns.com (subject: Queens Snaps).
link
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
