LIVING UNITED
2015, ISSUE I
Champion of Children Raises Awareness about
“Boys of Color, Boys at Risk”
Ambitious multifaceted campaign combines major events and research to mobilize our community Through a series of events and outreach efforts, Champion of Children is shining a bright light on the challenges that face boys of color in central Ohio. “If you look at the building blocks for successful child development—a positive early childhood experience, a strong stable neighborhood and economic security for families—boys of color are really at a disadvantage across all of these factors,” said Jason Reece, Research Director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity. Boys of color experience a disproportionate level of poverty in our community, and often live in neighborhoods that are less safe and have significant blight. “These young men then come into school facing many barriers that other kids in our community don’t face,” Reece says. One key barrier is implicit bias - how people unconsciously apply negative stereotypes to boys of color.
“ African American and Latino males are overrepresented in every area we associate with failure and underrepresented in every area we associate with success.” — Pedro Noguera, PhD. In past years, Champion of Children has focused on the effects neighborhood environments have on learning and on the long lasting negative ramifications of the toxic stress that many children in poverty can experience. This body of research helps to build a more complete picture of the challenges
boys of color face and how our community can come together to support them. Research cited by education expert Pedro Noguera, PhD, indicates that boys of color across the country are clearly in a crisis. African American and Latino males are more likely than any other group to be suspended and expelled from school, and dropout rates for African American and Latino males in most American cities are well above 50%. They are less likely to enroll in or graduate from college than any other group and lag significantly in grade point average and on standardized tests. These national trends are reflected in central Ohio. “The challenges our boys of color face are daunting,” said Champion of Children Director Elizabeth Trotman. “But we believe that our efforts will build the awareness we need to mobilize our community to action.”
Champion of Children events and research on boys of color: • American Promise screening, in partnership with Key Club -January 29 • 2015 Signature Event - March 10 • Latino Partner Breakfast - March 10 • Champion of Children Report Launch at Columbus Metropolitan Club - June • Statewide Education Summit, in partnership with The Ohio State University - Fall
The Champion of Children
Signature Event Southern Theatre • March 10, 2015 Register at
liveunitedcentralohio.org/champion-of-children
2015 Signature Event Features Pedro Noguera Don’t miss this year’s Champion of Children Signature Event featuring a conversation with nationally-recognized education expert Pedro Noguera, PhD. Dr. Noguera will have an on-stage conversation with Ann Fisher, host of the radio program All Sides on WOSU, focusing on boys of color. The Signature Event is the centerpiece of Champion of Children’s awareness-building efforts and is one of the most popular and thought-provoking gatherings in central Ohio. Dr. Noguera is Professor of Education at New York University and a regular commentator on education issues on CNN, MSNBC and National Public Radio.