In honor of #BlackHistoryMonth, we are continuing our Black Voices in Education Series, celebrating educators of color who worked to advance educational and racial equity in the U.S.
Today, we highlight Mary McLeod Bethune, one of the most important educators, civil and women's rights leaders, and government officials of the 20th century. Mary was born in 1875 in South Carolina to former slaves, and at the age of ten, became the first child in her family to attend school. After studying in North Carolina and Chicago to become a missionary, a lack of openings led Mary to return to the south to teach. In October of 1904, after relocating to Florida, Mary founded the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls with five students and $2.00.
At the core of all learning is the fundamental connection between teachers and students. Teaching isn’t always easy or predictable, and the disruptions of the past year -- with COVID-induced remote learning -- have made the endeavor even more challenging.
But teachers have always found ways to make it work -- especially Horizons teachers, who return year after year to create innovative, student-driven curriculums and inspire a love of learning. Horizons teachers spent their Spring 2020 semester adapting to new ways of teaching, and in summer, brought a remarkable level of energy, thought, and heart to their Horizons “virtual classrooms,” keeping learning joyful and working hard to connect with students during an unusual year.
Each year, Horizons National honors outstanding educators with the Lyn McNaught Teacher Award. Named for the talented former Executive Director of Horizons at New Canaan Country School (and first Executive Director of Horizons National), the award recognizes teachers who have excelled in Horizons’ classrooms by providing exemplary opportunities for young people across the country. This year, these awards have additional meaning.
As our country grapples with racial injustice, our team at Horizons was eager to lift up Black voices and honor the impact that Black educators have had on America’s young people. Today, we celebrate their stories with our Black Voices in Education Card Series, a downloadable digital resource highlighting Black educators. Click here to download the resource!
Families and schools often worry about “summer learning loss” – the decline in academic skills that students experience during the summer months. For decades, Horizons has worked to combat summer learning loss by supporting academic and non-academic development through out-of-school learning programs that engage, stimulate, and enrich students’ lives.
When students join the Horizons program, we make a commitment for a minimum of 9 years. This practice of reinforcing relationships and learning over time is at the heart of Horizons’ success at narrowing gaps of opportunity. Recently, a study was published in American Educational Research Journal that supports Horizons’ approach, particularly our belief in the importance of serving students for multiple years.
So many things looked different this summer -- even our students’ faces! Face masks have become part of our everyday lives, and are critical to keeping our communities safe. But that doesn’t mean they have to be boring!
Horizons teamed with supermodel Karolina Kurkova and fashion company Billie Blooms to launch anew Back to School mask collection featuring unique designs hand-drawn by Horizons students. All proceeds from the Billie Blooms + Horizons Back to School mask collection benefit Horizons and help us continue to support students and families as we all navigate the back-to-school season.
Today, we highlight Mary McLeod Bethune, one of the most important educators, civil and women's rights leaders, and government officials of the 20th century. Mary was born in 1875 in South Carolina to former slaves, and at the age of ten, became the first child in her family to attend school. After studying in North Carolina and Chicago to become a missionary, a lack of openings led Mary to return to the south to teach. In October of 1904, after relocating to Florida, Mary founded the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls with five students and $2.00.