You’re familiar with the timeless African proverb: “It takes a Village to raise a child.” It’s been true for centuries, and it’s still true today. Most likely, you’ve thought about this village in terms of immediate and extended family and long-time friends, but have you considered school to be a part of this extended village?

In North Carolina, students are in school for an average of 6.75 hours per day for 180 days out of the year. That’s 1,215 hours spent around classmates, teachers, and administrators per school year. Over the course of a full K-12 career, students spend an eye opening average of 15,795 hours in school. School might just be one of the most influential communities a child participates in, second only to family.

While teachers and administrators remain committed to their schools and their students, large classroom sizes and the pressure of standardized tests can hinder much-needed personalized attention for students. Likewise, teachers are tasked with making the most of limited supplies; and, depending upon the socioeconomic makeup of the school and its surrounding community, students and parents may not be able to shoulder the financial burden of providing those resources. Therefore, socioeconomic gaps continue to widen and opportunities for advanced, personalized learning become scarce amongst those near the bottom end of this gap.

But, what if the surrounding community acts as advocates for students, providing physical resources as well as their physical presence? What if these advocates include college students, recent college graduates, retired and active professionals, as well as parents? What if school took on the true essence of a village?

This is the goal of The Chloe Project. Inspired by a family’s successful attempt at pooling their financial and physical resources to support two homeless children in need, The Chloe Project is committed to a model of village-led school support. Through tutoring and mentoring conducted during the school day, volunteers assist teachers in providing personalized and inspirational social and emotional learning opportunities for students. Donors assist by providing school supplies and diverse books to local classrooms. 

Each volunteer and donor becomes a part of a North Carolina public school’s local community and an advocate for students who face the threat of increasing socioeconomic gaps. More than anything, students need champions who have the knowledge and experience to guide them toward fulfilling futures, regardless of the present circumstances. What better way to provide that than through the age-old design: “It takes a Village to raise a child”? At The Chloe Project, we are the village.