GCP parents, it's time to get focused on helping our sons and daughters get ready for their best school year yet. Here are some helpful resources: Readiness Check: You know what grades your kids got last year, but how much of the material do they confidently understand? Does a C in math for the semester mean that your child [...]
Yesterday GCP and Independent School Diversity Network (ISDN) hosted an "Insider’s View of the College Admissions Process" on Martha's Vineyard, featuring key admissions representatives from Columbia, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania discussing the admissions process. Once a year GCP and ISDN fill a living room with kids of color and give them the opportunity to meet with the [...]
The selection of today's Thoughtful Thursday offering, "The First Book" by the celebrated poet Rita Dove, was inspired by yesterday's post about LeBron James' wonderful new IPromise public school in Akron Ohio. The school is designed to inspire middle school students who are performing below their grade levels. Helping them with reading skills will surely be an important part [...]
LeBron James may have taken his talents to the LA Lakers, but he is leaving something very valuable behind in Ohio: a chance for 240 at-risk third and fourth graders in his hometown of Akron to get a brand new public school designed to help them achieve. James and his LeBron James Family Foundation have partnered with The Akron [...]
GCP Parents, hope you and your families are having a great summer! Now is a good time to focus on making sure that your children start the school year right. Have you been combatting summer slide with your children? If not, there is still time. Wherever you are in this process, we've got tips to make it easier. Several [...]
Have you heard about the Pepperidge Farm Goldfish and Ritz Bits recall? The new pediatric report on the dangers of chemicals from plastics? The following health related warnings released recently are of particular interest to parents: 1. Food Recalls: Parents, check your kitchen cabinets! Two snack food companies have had to recall some of their products due to their [...]
Today's Thoughtful Thursday celebrates summer, with the help of four wonderful Black poets. We begin with classic summer musings from Paul Lawrence Dunbar (1872-1906) and Claude McCay (1889-1948). Dunbar, one of the first African American poets to gain national recognition, wrote poems in both standard English and in what was called "Negro dialect". While his dialect poetry is generally [...]
Ok GCP parents, time to turn away from the seemingly endless stream of national bad news coming at us and focus on some good news about African American men. A team of researchers from The University of Virginia, The Institute of Family Studies and Columbia University recently released a report, "Black Men Making It in America" which reveals that [...]
Did you know that today is National Summer Learning Day? (We didn’t either, and thanks to Bill Lewis for bringing this to GCP’s attention.) With over 6 weeks to go until the end of August, there is still plenty of time to encourage your son or daughter to focus on sharpening his or her skills during the summer. No [...]
If you have any children 5 years old or younger, you need to know about Vroom, an amazing set of resources and activities which you can use to help their young brains develop and grow strong. Vroom offers over 1000 activities for parents which turn everyday moments into “brain building moments”, giving children a strong base for lifetime learning. [...]