NAAPID at Night
Donation protected
NAAPID at Night
NAAPID at Night is an extension of NAAPID (National African American Parent Involvement Day) that provides the opportunity for parents to participate even though they were unable to attend their child’s school during the day, for whole family participation when family members attend different schools, for students to demonstrate their talents and appreciate talent from across the district, and for students, parents and community members across the district to come together to experience and share in the joy of each other.
A brief explanation of why NAAPID at Night needs your support.
1. Parents of African-American students in collaboration with teachers and schools make a positive difference in closing the achievement gap these children continue to face.
2. Outreach to parents is important to further collaboration.
3. The interruption of negative stereotypes is beneficial to all members of our society.
4. NAAPID and NAAPID at Night are established programs that aid in the outreach to parents and in interrupting perceived stereotypes.
5. Underfunding of our schools has reduced the resources available to support programs such as NAAPID and NAAPID at Night.
Why have National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) and NAAPID at Night?
African American parents, as do all parents, have a crucial influence on the expectations and behavior of their children, but many parents recall their own education as a negative experience or only have contact with a school when something has gone wrong.
In our schools, African American students continue to suffer from an achievement gap that places them at a disadvantage which may continue for their whole lives and carry over to future generations.
A goal of NAAPID is to assist in changing negative perceptions by helping to make new positive associations.
A welcoming and sincere invitation to parents to visit a classroom while their child participates in a lesson can and has helped change the level of positive involvement those parents have in their child’s education and in their collaboration with teachers and school systems in ways that benefit all the children.
It is important to understand that NAAPID and NAAPID at Night are not only for the benefit of African American students and their parents.
First, NAAPID is inclusive, not exclusive. All parents are encouraged to attend their child’s school and NAAPID at Night showcases the talents of all students across the district.
So why not simply call it National Parent Involvement Day? Because in our education system, the perpetuation of a goal to be “color blind” ignores serious issues associated with color. These issues need and deserve special attention.
Second, more than 1 in 8 Americans are African American. It is to everyone’s benefit to be familiar with other people from different backgrounds, not from passed on stereotypes or sensationalized portrayals in the media, but first hand.
When students and parents of varied backgrounds come together in a program focused on the best of the wealth of offerings across a district, they have the opportunity to see beyond stereotypes and the safety to make person to person connections unavailable in all too often segregated school systems.
Why does NAAPID at Night need funding?
NAAPID at Night is an established and well attended program. While the program is a valuable endeavor, the underfunding of our schools has resulted in cutting resources to it.
It is expensive to put on a good program. Programs, publicity, student awards, and catering a social gathering that takes place of necessity during the dinner hour add expense. And if sufficient funding is available, we look forward to being able to offer some transportation from and back to schools across the district to further support attendance.
An important Note:
NAAPID at Night is a nonprofit, all volunteer effort overseen by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. No one on the committee or involved in the organization of the program receives compensation from NAAPID at Night funding.
NAAPID at Night is an extension of NAAPID (National African American Parent Involvement Day) that provides the opportunity for parents to participate even though they were unable to attend their child’s school during the day, for whole family participation when family members attend different schools, for students to demonstrate their talents and appreciate talent from across the district, and for students, parents and community members across the district to come together to experience and share in the joy of each other.
A brief explanation of why NAAPID at Night needs your support.
1. Parents of African-American students in collaboration with teachers and schools make a positive difference in closing the achievement gap these children continue to face.
2. Outreach to parents is important to further collaboration.
3. The interruption of negative stereotypes is beneficial to all members of our society.
4. NAAPID and NAAPID at Night are established programs that aid in the outreach to parents and in interrupting perceived stereotypes.
5. Underfunding of our schools has reduced the resources available to support programs such as NAAPID and NAAPID at Night.
Why have National African American Parent Involvement Day (NAAPID) and NAAPID at Night?
African American parents, as do all parents, have a crucial influence on the expectations and behavior of their children, but many parents recall their own education as a negative experience or only have contact with a school when something has gone wrong.
In our schools, African American students continue to suffer from an achievement gap that places them at a disadvantage which may continue for their whole lives and carry over to future generations.
A goal of NAAPID is to assist in changing negative perceptions by helping to make new positive associations.
A welcoming and sincere invitation to parents to visit a classroom while their child participates in a lesson can and has helped change the level of positive involvement those parents have in their child’s education and in their collaboration with teachers and school systems in ways that benefit all the children.
It is important to understand that NAAPID and NAAPID at Night are not only for the benefit of African American students and their parents.
First, NAAPID is inclusive, not exclusive. All parents are encouraged to attend their child’s school and NAAPID at Night showcases the talents of all students across the district.
So why not simply call it National Parent Involvement Day? Because in our education system, the perpetuation of a goal to be “color blind” ignores serious issues associated with color. These issues need and deserve special attention.
Second, more than 1 in 8 Americans are African American. It is to everyone’s benefit to be familiar with other people from different backgrounds, not from passed on stereotypes or sensationalized portrayals in the media, but first hand.
When students and parents of varied backgrounds come together in a program focused on the best of the wealth of offerings across a district, they have the opportunity to see beyond stereotypes and the safety to make person to person connections unavailable in all too often segregated school systems.
Why does NAAPID at Night need funding?
NAAPID at Night is an established and well attended program. While the program is a valuable endeavor, the underfunding of our schools has resulted in cutting resources to it.
It is expensive to put on a good program. Programs, publicity, student awards, and catering a social gathering that takes place of necessity during the dinner hour add expense. And if sufficient funding is available, we look forward to being able to offer some transportation from and back to schools across the district to further support attendance.
An important Note:
NAAPID at Night is a nonprofit, all volunteer effort overseen by the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. No one on the committee or involved in the organization of the program receives compensation from NAAPID at Night funding.
Organizer and beneficiary
Dennis Halalay
Organizer
Ann Arbor, MI
Sherri Papazoglou
Beneficiary
