“What am I nervous about…? What I’m nervous about is not doing enough” Thi-Le, a new site coordinator with Communities In Schools of Seattle, seemed to express the feel of the room. In an age where education and the dropout rate has entered the national spotlight, people are looking for the “superman” to save students in need and at risk. And we were in a room full of them.
Site coordinators are Communities In Schools’ answer to the country’s call for education superheros, providing one-to-one support to the kids who need it, when they need it most. And on this day over 30 site coordinators from throughout the Washington network gathered for a day of training. For some it was their first day in the job, and they were here to learn techniques and hear stories. For those already in their job, this was a chance to share years of experience with the new recruits as they embark on a job riddled with both challenges and personal tests.
Over the course of the day it became apparent that motivation would not be an issue for the new superheros. Many are excited for the chance to help out a community in which they grew up, and they saw this job as an opportunity to jump in and start making an impact. They look forward to the relationships they’ll be forming with those students in need of a “superman” to help guide them to the graduation stage. Will they do enough? They’re sure going to try.
Check out the video below to hear from some of the new site coordinators themselves as they talk about entering their new jobs:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgA6iy-4eq0]