“Every school can add to the development of the community. This development plan is called “#familyhood .” #Familyhood promotes through its two motto’s a vision of community development utilizing schools as the communities hub. The 1st motto: “Friends of school” states, “every school shall have a functioning Student Government Association, Parent Teacher Association and Alumni Association. 2) Mo’ Better Food states: “every school shall have a garden, a farmers market and grocery store”.
#familyhood defines these three school based membership organizations (SGA, PTA, AA) as a schools nucleus organizations.
A strong student government gives students a hands-on experience of democracy, which promotes leadership, an ability to converse, plan as a unit. Strong P.T.A. have been known to raise money for schools, maintain and start various programs. Alumni associations play a major role in Healthy Economics.
To elaborate, since #Familyhood defines the school as the nucleus of its development, when one thinks of development or “production of something,” one may ask: what does the school produce? It produces Alumni and future community leaders!
When you see the school as a production house of Alumni, the schools conversation to its Alumni goes from “you graduated, good luck to, “You are now an Alumni. We need $50.00 from you to join your Alumni association and for you to attend meetings as often as you can…this will grant you all the rights, privileges and responsibilities as an Alumni. The rights and privileges to meet and plan with your fellow Alumni. You were here for four years. For the rest of your life you will be an Alumni. As an Alumni, you have the responsibility to assist the generations that follow you. The doors are open for you to stay engaged, mentor, serve, volunteer, no longer as a student, as an Alumni.”
But the school’s conversation does not end there. It gives space to its Alumni Association. As it gives space to its Student Government Association and Parent Teacher Association. This space is The Inter-generational Enterprise, which seeks to collaborate them in the development of the school and its surrounding community.
The Inter-generational Enterprise is also community leaders and business partners that understand their role is to help the “the school’s main three organization to actually function on campus and to assist/mentor the development of the schools food related enterprises (i.e. garden, farmers market, grocery store) by at least planning/ attending the schools 1st Saturday’s monthly volunteer/recruitment day events.
Familyhood is one word to describe The Inter-generational Enterprise and #familyhood is the official twitter handle.
#Familyhood is the vision. #1stSaturdays is the “do now” strategy to advance towards #Familyhood.
#1stSaturdays represents the first Saturday of each month as “the official monthly volunteer/recruitment day at schools.
To get started, schools sign up at 1stSaturdays.com
After the schools register at 1stSaturdays.com, the school begins by “saving all the 1st Saturdays of the month of the year as volunteer/recruitment day.” One of the main purposes of 1stSaturdays is for these organizations to know what each other is doing and seek ways to collaborate to best serve and students and the community around. Internally, the school, if it has these organizations functioning, encourages representatives from the three main organizations to share updates. If it does not, the school utilizes 1stSaturdays to address it. So, for example, instead of giving an update of of one of the main organizations, someone may announce,
” we do not have a PTA…we do not have a Student Government Association in place, but we are planning to have elections in October…I am president of the Alumni Association and recruited five others…we have the commitment of a few local businesses to come out every 1stSaturday of the month.”
While the above discussions are being held during 1stSaturdays, #Familyhood promotes through its 2nd Motto: Mo’Better Food -“every school shall have a garden, a farmers market and grocery store,” volunteers to work in the school garden. Similarly to if a school does not have an organization, if a school does not have a garden, 1stSaturdays utilizes the volunteers to address it. Therefore, someone would say,” we do have a garden but would like one. Part of today’s agenda is to tour the school in search of the best garden location.”
With the above in order, meaning schools conducting 1stSaturdays every month with space for the three main organizations to recruit new members, updates being conducted (as mentioned above), information being shared by local business/community partners, the school gains momentum to utilize these school- based enterprises as low-cost start-up enterprises.
The individual’s from the above organizations and community partners are what we call- “The Intergenerational Enterprise”. The Intergenerational Enterprise views the garden, the farmers market and it’s future grocery store’s as low-cost businesses that can be utilized to give hands-on training/jobs to students, alumni and parents, while raising revenue for themselves and these school- based enterprises.
The Intergeneration Enterprise is phase 2 of #Familyhood.
Phase 1 is currently in operation at 1stSaturdays.com.
Once we recruit school to join on 1stSaturdays, this site: intergenerationalenterprise.com will feature ways to support!