CANTON – A group of Canton City Schools fourth-grade boys are on a journey to become their best selves.
The journey will be long and challenging, but when these young people complete secondary education, they should have the skills necessary to succeed and become leaders, regardless of their path in life.
Future 40, described as a leadership club by creator Terrance Jones, was created this year when Jones asked school officials to select 40 brown and black third-graders to participate in a project celebrating Black History Month. District.
Participants were chosen based on character and potential leadership abilities, not their performance in school or their behavior.
“It was gender-specific and culture-specific,” said Jones, undergraduate coach and workforce development coordinator. “These kids came together for an ‘us’ thing, not a ‘me’ thing.”
During the celebration, the boys recited a mantra led by Superintendent Jeff Talbert. The children promised to work hard, work together, own their work, speak the truth and empower others.
“I am someone… I will be the best version of myself. These are not just words. This is my statement to myself and my community. Don’t give up on us. Push us. Prepare us. The best is yet to come.”
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“It was powerful. It was impactful,” Jones said. “Hearing them say with great pride and innocently a public commitment to what they want and are willing to do. That was the concept of Future 40 from that moment on.”
From that point on, Jones was committed to promoting a path that leads to success for children.
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Talbert has taken on the task of ensuring that he and other leaders deliver on the promise of teaching students to realize their potential.
“I think the experiences and exposure to the opportunities that exist for them are just as important as the literacy and numeracy skills they will need to be successful,” Talbert said.
Deidre Stokes Davis, district human resources director, is helping develop the group.
It’s important to provide participants with core values of excellence and leadership skills and help them build community, she said. They want to expose kids to the success stories of students who walked the same halls and lived in their neighborhoods.
“They realize I can be someone. I can do this,” Stokes Davis said. “It’s amazing to see the kids paying attention.”
Last week, a retreat was held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the first event to bring the boys together since their appearance at the Black History Month event.
It was an opportunity to come together and learn about leadership, meet men of integrity and learn how they can become positive contributors to their community, Stokes Davis said.
“Ultimately, we want them to become a success story and that connecting to that vision and mission can now lead to their success,” she added. “We want to intentionally expose these young people to other parts of their community and give them hope to actually live the mantra they recited.”
Hall of Famer Dan Fouts
While in the Hall of Fame, Talbert joined the kids in reminding them why they are there.
“You have the opportunity to meet people and learn,” he told the children. “Here at the Hall of Fame, it honors and celebrates legends. Why are we here? So we can give you tools and opportunities to learn things, if you want to do what I do, or be a doctor, or a football player, or a lawyer, race cars or fly planes – you can.”
In addition to visiting the Hall of Fame, students met with Hall of Famer Dan Fouts.
Fouts, a quarterback for the San Diego Chargers for 15 years, told the boys that the best thing he gained from playing was the lasting friendships he formed with his teammates.
“You need friends,” Fouts explained. “You need people you can count on and they can count on you. They will be there for you and you will be there for them when they need you.”
Fouts told the boys to work hard in everything they do, something that requires learning as much as they can.
As students will likely face a new year at a new school, Fouts said, things will be different. He reminded them to take a deep breath, look around and feel their surroundings, and then look for a familiar face.
“You need to be ready to be the best student you can be,” he said. “You have to be prepared and pay attention.”
In the future, Jones and Stokes Davis want to provide students with guidance, additional support in and out of the classroom, and develop leadership skills and pride in their community.
As they spend more time with students, they will take a holistic approach: monitoring attendance and grades and meeting regularly with students, their families, teachers, and the principal to provide individual help for their specific needs.
“Our goal is to make them understand that their choices have consequences,” Jones said. “We want them to be able to hold themselves accountable in their academics, in sports or whatever they do.”
Contact Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.
This article was originally published in The Independent: Canton City Schools’ New Future 40 Programs for Boys
