N.C. Central University students who are a part of the Middle Grade Education Program, are living up to the motto truth and service.
The latest recipients of the NCCU service learning project were W.G. Pearson Magnet Middle School students.
The partnership created between the program and the W.G. Pearson Magnet Middle School gave NCCU students the opportunity to gain firsthand experience of working in a public school system.
NCCU alumna Kimberly McDonald and Valerie Griffin-Puryear collaborated with NCCU education professor Gerrelyn Patterson to develop the program.
"No amount of readings, essays, or test will make teaching ‘real' to students until they spend a significant amount of time in public school classrooms," said Patterson.
The professor's fall 2010 Instructional Planning student tutors dealt first hand with faculty and students at the magnet school.
The course combines curriculum ideas with real context. The class is given the task of researching a school need and then find a resolution.
Spending time at the middle school, NCCU students decided that the school needed a brighter atmosphere.
At the end of the program, the tutors decided to create a mural for the middle school.
After receiving permission from administration, submitting sketches, and acquiring supplies, some of the middle schoolers dedicated their time after class ended to help with the completion of the mural.
Art-education senior Faye Brandon, spear-headed the class in painting the mural.
The project became more than just a facelift for the school, it gave the students and faculty something to take pride in.
While tutors painted, the middle school students kept them company, as they were even sometimes serenaded by the school's band.
"It's ironic how a small act of kindness can make such a large contribution to a child's success as a student," said SGA president Dwayne Johnson, a history senior.
The NCCU tutors were able to interact with the Pearson students on a personal level and gain insight on some issues that young students deal with.
"The tutoring experience was two-fold," said Sarayah Mitchell, a teaching licensure candidate.
"It felt amazing helping students and inspiring them to work through difficulties, but it was also disheartening to know that so many of our students are falling behind because of the lack of resources and parental involvement."
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