Executive Summary
The Coalition of Multicultural Educators, Inc. is seeking funding to support its’initiative to recruit, educate and sustain minorities in the field of school counseling and school psychology in the Cleveland area.
Background Information
C.O.M.E., Inc. is a 501(c)(3) entity organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, more specifically to increase the number of minorities employed by school districts as guidance counselors and school psychologists.
We are multicultural Educators advocating for equitable numbers of minority and bilingual school counselors/school psychologists in urban school districts to meet the academic, counseling and mentoring needs of minority and bilingual students through: recruitment, mentorship, scholarship and professional development.
C.O.M.E. Inc. sponsors fundraising events to help secure additional financing for graduate scholarship candidates in the fields of school guidance counseling and school psychology. Our organization is composed of ten board members, accomplished professionals in the fields of psychology and counseling.
C.O.M.E. Inc. has served the need of graduate students in the Greater Cleveland Area via mentor ships and recruitment at the area universities/colleges and in collaboration with organizations, agencies and school districts since 2000. Additionally, our organization recognizes the need to reach students throughout the country specifically in highly populated minority urban areas.
We are multicultural Educators advocating for equitable numbers of minority and bilingual school counselors/school psychologists in urban school districts to meet the academic, counseling and mentoring needs of minority and bilingual students through: recruitment, mentorship, scholarship and professional development.
C.O.M.E. Inc. sponsors fundraising events to help secure additional financing for graduate scholarship candidates in the fields of school guidance counseling and school psychology. Our organization is composed of ten board members, accomplished professionals in the fields of psychology and counseling.
C.O.M.E. Inc. has served the need of graduate students in the Greater Cleveland Area via mentor ships and recruitment at the area universities/colleges and in collaboration with organizations, agencies and school districts since 2000. Additionally, our organization recognizes the need to reach students throughout the country specifically in highly populated minority urban areas.
Purpose
The C.O.M.E. Inc. organization is committed to enhance appropriate service delivery to diverse student populations. As part of that commitment, the C.O.M.E. Inc. organization persistently recruits, encourages and provides financial assistance for minority graduate students who are pursuing degrees in School Counseling and/or School Psychology.
C.O.M.E. Inc also provides career consultation, mentorship and professional development to as a means of attracting and retaining viable individuals already employed in these fields. . As a service to the Greater Cleveland community, C.O.M.E. Inc. visits and has established a relationship with local universities/colleges in order to encourage students to pursue these career areas and to seek employment in surrounding Cleveland area.
A review of enrollment data for the 2006-2007 academic year indicated that there were significantly high populations of minorities in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. (66.6% African-American, 14.5% Hispanic student population) Together these two groups represented more than 81% of the total student population. Other minorities represented in the district was 2.7%. This was out of an approximate student enrollment of 52,769.
The whole of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s student population or 100% was deemed to be economically disadvantaged for the 2006-07 school year. While minority students composed 89.7% of the student body, minority male school counselors and minority school psychologists represented less than 8% for counseling and 10% for psychologists in this same school district. There was only one (1) male psychologist and four (4) male counselors during this year. This is a trend that has been in evidence for at least the past several years.
Minority and bilingual school counselors and school psychologists are greatly underrepresented in Ohio public school districts to meet the needs of a growing multicultural/multilingual population.
Parents tend to have a higher trust and comfort level when they feel that they are understood and listened to by someone of their same culture.
Research has shown that students need positive role models that they can identify with to maximize their academic and social emotional growth.
C.O.M.E. Inc also provides career consultation, mentorship and professional development to as a means of attracting and retaining viable individuals already employed in these fields. . As a service to the Greater Cleveland community, C.O.M.E. Inc. visits and has established a relationship with local universities/colleges in order to encourage students to pursue these career areas and to seek employment in surrounding Cleveland area.
A review of enrollment data for the 2006-2007 academic year indicated that there were significantly high populations of minorities in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. (66.6% African-American, 14.5% Hispanic student population) Together these two groups represented more than 81% of the total student population. Other minorities represented in the district was 2.7%. This was out of an approximate student enrollment of 52,769.
The whole of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s student population or 100% was deemed to be economically disadvantaged for the 2006-07 school year. While minority students composed 89.7% of the student body, minority male school counselors and minority school psychologists represented less than 8% for counseling and 10% for psychologists in this same school district. There was only one (1) male psychologist and four (4) male counselors during this year. This is a trend that has been in evidence for at least the past several years.
Minority and bilingual school counselors and school psychologists are greatly underrepresented in Ohio public school districts to meet the needs of a growing multicultural/multilingual population.
Parents tend to have a higher trust and comfort level when they feel that they are understood and listened to by someone of their same culture.
Research has shown that students need positive role models that they can identify with to maximize their academic and social emotional growth.
Funding Needs
At this time of our program’s development, we are aware of the financial demands encountered and anticipated in our effort of aiding and assisting minority students in their progress towards educational plateaus in their specific areas of educational interest, which are school counseling and school psychology.
Funding is needed in the following Areas:
Scholarships - Scholarships for graduate students in their major areas of educational pursuits in School Counseling and/or School Psychology.
Communication Outreach – Mailings, Newsletters, Flyers, mailings and associated costs.
Professional Development – Workshops, Educational Publishing.
Mentoring – Continued tracking with our scholarship recipients.
We are vigorously applying for grants to support our efforts. We have previously awarded scholarships in the amount of $1,000.00 but with the soaring cost of higher education, we would like to increase the scholarship award amount for our recipients.
Funding is needed in the following Areas:
Scholarships - Scholarships for graduate students in their major areas of educational pursuits in School Counseling and/or School Psychology.
Communication Outreach – Mailings, Newsletters, Flyers, mailings and associated costs.
Professional Development – Workshops, Educational Publishing.
Mentoring – Continued tracking with our scholarship recipients.
We are vigorously applying for grants to support our efforts. We have previously awarded scholarships in the amount of $1,000.00 but with the soaring cost of higher education, we would like to increase the scholarship award amount for our recipients.
Conclusion
The educational community acknowledges the need for greater presence of minorities in the schools because of increased diversity among the student population in the greater Cleveland area. C.O.M.E. Inc. supports and will continue to help provide for higher graduation rates for minorities, thus increasing the number of professionals in the fields of guidance counseling and school psychology. We are seeking your assistance in our endeavor to assure that our students have optimum opportunities to become better-educated and in turn responsible citizens in our community.