Happy April Everyone!

Even though the weather outside doesn't seem like it, I'm sure spring will arrive any day now!

In fact, invitations have already gone out to Young Scholar families for our annual Spring Family Fun Night! There will be free food and all new exciting activities from The Works Museum.

More information and a link to RSVP can be found at the end of this newsletter.

In this month's edition, we are learning more about the foundational goals of Young Scholars. These goals can be seen in the image below and are also reflected in the commitment at the beginning of every newsletter: Nurturing Potential, Sustaining Support

For Young Scholars, this means supporting and increasing access to resources, affirmation of self, and advocates in and out of school to help students reach their academic potential.

This month, we will be focusing on the goal of increasing advocates for your Young Scholar.

Having an advocate is a lot like having your own personal cheerleader. Advocates encourage and inspire themselves and others to keep going even when things get tough.

Every time you stand up for yourself or others, you become an advocate, and as parents, we are likely the most important advocate our children will know.

Sharing positive messages each day, especially when you notice your Young Scholar struggling, can go a long way to affirm and encourage their efforts. Sometimes the best way to advocate is simply to let your Young Scholar know you are there, walking alongside them.

While having even just one passionate advocate can make a huge difference in the life of a child, it is also important that children become strong advocates for themselves.

It takes time, support, and courage to learn to stand up and speak up in effective and respectful ways, but the skills to do so can be the very best source of empowerment and advocacy we can teach our children.

Here are three questions your Young Scholar can ask as they work toward being their own best advocate:

• What is it that I need?
• What help or support will help me get what I need?
• How can I best share my needs with others?

These are not always easy questions to answer for any of us, and children may have little experience understanding they even have the power to ask such questions. Your Young Scholar will need all your support, encouragement, and cheerleading to help them on their journey.

While the path to self-advocacy may not be short or always sweet, along the way your Young Scholar will be building powerful life-long skills such as increased problem-solving, self-confidence, ownership of their learning, independence and self-empowerment.

Here are some ideas to help as you build self-advocacy skills in your Young Scholar:

• Talk with your child about their strengths and challenges.
  
• Have ongoing conversations with your child about their learning.
• Remind your child that asking for help is a good thing.
• Praise your child's efforts at speaking up in respectful ways.
• When a problem comes up, give your child a chance to solve it before stepping in.

Advocacy, whether from without or from within, is one of the most powerful and long-lasting ways you can encourage, inspire and support your Young Scholar throughout their lives.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions, thoughts, or needs!

Colleen Redmond

credmond@sowashco.org