“WHY EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN MATTERS” TROPZIE McCLUNEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

COMMUNITY MATH ACADEMY

“DAUGHTER, LIFE FOR YOU WON’T BE CRYSTAL STAIRS, MUST GET YOUR EDUCATION!!” MY MOM SAID MANY TIMES. GET YOUR EDUCATION, STUDY HARD. BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE.” EDUCATION MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.

THESE WORDS WERE HEARD OFTEN AROUND OUR HOUSE AS I GREW UP. I KNEW AT AN EARLY AGE THAT EDUCATION MATTERED AND IT WAS DEEPLY INSTILLED IN ME. THAT REINFORCEMENT IS WHY I BELIEVE WE MUST SOUND THE ALARM AND LET OUR CHILDREN KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND HOW IT CAN AND WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES PERSONALLY, SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY. THERE ARE SOME SOUND PRINCIPLES THAT OUR CHILDREN MUST POSSSESS SO THEY CAN BE PREPARED FOR SUCCESS IN THIS GLOBAL ECONOMY.

BE OBEDIENT, LISTEN TO SOUND DOCTRINE (1 SAMUEL 15:22)
SET GOALS AND STAY FOCUSED (PROVERBS 29:18)
MAIN SOUND INTEGRITY (ROMANS 14:16)
DON’T GIVE UP (2 TIMOTHY 4:7)

EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN TAKES A VILLAGE, THAT MEANS EVERYONE MUST BE INVOLVED IN CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT FOR SUCCESS.

I.SET RULES AND BOUNDARIES, SPEAK AND DEMONSTRATE WHAT IS FAIR, JUST AND RIGHT. EDUCATION PREPARES THEM FOR SHORT AND LONG TERMS GOALS BUT IT ALSO TEACHES OUR CHILDREN TO THINK CRITICALLY ON ISSUES OF HUMANITY AND KINDNESS TO THEIR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. THEIR EDUCATION CAN GIVE THEM CONFIDENCE TO STAND IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY AS THEY PERFORM THEIR DAILY LIFE ACTIVITIES.

II.TALK TO THEM OFTEN, MORNING, NOON AND NIGHT, INFORMING THEM OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO WORK AND STUDY HARD, ALWAYS REACHING AND ACHIEVING, FOCUSED ON THE OUTCOME, NOT ALWAYS THE INCOME. MAINTAIN UNBLEMISHED INTEGRITY, CHOOSING THE HARDER RIGHT OVER THE EASIER WRONG AND BE BOLD IN ALWAYS KNOWING THAT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE AND ACCOMPLISHED HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE OF YOUR TENACITY, YOUR STRONG BELIEF IN GOD AND HIS GUIDANCE. AS LIFE WOULD HAVE IT, BARRIERS AND STUMBLING BLOCKS WILL COME THEIR WAY BUT THAT IS NO REASON TO STOP, DROP THEIR HEADS AND GIVE UP!! STAND TALL, LOOK AT THE WORLD RIGHT IN THE EYE AND SAY, “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!!”

OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT IN THIS ALONE, LET’S DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ENSURE THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE READY TO FACE THIS WORLD. AS THEY MOVE UPWARD AND OUTWARD, REMIND THEM THAT THEY TOO HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO LEND THEIR SHOULDERS FOR OTHERS TO STAND ON AND ACHIEVE SUCCESS… JUST AS OUR GRANDPARENTS AND GREAT GRANDPARENTS DID FOR US!