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The African
American Festival of Academic Excellence addresses the need to reverse a shift in
family and student academic patterns that promote negative performance in the
Montgomery County Public Schools. The Festival’s reasons for being include:
Changing Children’s Mindset: The Festival seeks to erase the debilitating
impression among too many students of African descent that to do well is to “act
white.” This charge, issued by students in an isolated social circle, is a grave
insult; as a result, low academic performance becomes key in remaining socially
acceptable among peers. This misinterpretation of successful living was the driving
force that inspired highly respected Montgomery County community reformer Roscoe Nix to initiate the Festival.
Celebrating Serious Self-Worth: The Festival uplifts the self-esteem that hundreds
of children whose successes are often ignored during end-of-year awards ceremonies.
Too many young people cannot see themselves as worthy of applause, particularly
in areas beyond high-end sports and popular music. The Festival shows enthusiasm
for the positive efforts of students and inspires them reach even higher. Bringing
students together as an audience fosters peer-to-peer admiration.
Promoting Parenthood and Family: Through
workshops and community events, the Festival seeks to motivate parents to make academic
achievement a part of their families’ everyday lives and to take active, in-person
rolls in student affairs, including setting goals and standards for future semesters
and class selections. No child is too young or too old to have a parent involved
in school-oriented programs.
Transforming Underachievers: The Festival believes that all students can succeed. Changes within some students require the
efforts of the community at large.
Increasing Expectations: Every part of the Montgomery County
community should have the highest hopes for and positive expectations of students
in the local schools. The Festival’s goal is to ensure that businesses, elderly
residents, childless families—can take pride in the contributions that students
of African descent make and will eventually make to this society. Please note that
the label, “Festival,” goes well beyond a feel-good celebration. Its impact is substantive
in its appreciation for the important series of items to be used in college portfolios:
community endorsements for jobs well done, scholarships as awards for high performance,
and a sense of belonging to a large community which demonstrates that it cares.
In the 2005 survey of more than 1,000 adult family members:
- 63% of families indicated that the festival has helped children improve
school attitudes.
- 65% of families perceived that their children worked harder because of
Festival involvement..
- 81% of families indicated that the Festival was extremely valuable.
- 73% of families did not realize that the Festival has suffered because
of inadequate funding.
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