Adopt-A-School

This blog post proposes a city-wide experiment.

What would happen if...

• The 7,100 churches in New York City prayed every week for the city's 1,200 public schools?
  
• Volunteers from those churches served the schools as hall monitors, classroom assistants, tutors, event organizers, PTA delegates, or coaches?
  
• Students from those churches were empowered to be salt and light on the campuses?
  
• God-fearing staff members from those churches, whether teachers, aids, principals, or agency administrators, recognized their profession as a calling?

Dare we expect that test scores might improve and the $12 billion currently spent on the school system be managed better?

The idea is doable. There are 7,100 evangelical, charismatic, and Pentecostal churches in the five boroughs. In contrast, New York's 1.1 million public school students are disbursed across 1,200 public schools. That’s nearly a 7:1 ratio of churches to schools. Including the 1,000 private and/or parochial schools, there are still more than three churches for every school.

The challenge to discovering whether the experiment works is to monitor and coordinate it effectively. Any thoughts how?

Related:

• "An Intergenerational Stirring: Why Christian Churches Should Adopt Public Schools"
• Fund for Public Schools (for businesses interested in supporting individual schools)
• Campus Alliance's EverySchool.com campaign

Imagine if Christian churches "adopted" public schools

"Why public schools? To borrow another of Jesus’ metaphors, effective “fishing” requires going where fish gather, namely (cheesy pun alert) within schools. Factor in the reality that public school students come disproportionately from our city’s most vulnerable communities and compassion compels Christ followers to be transformational agents in the mix."

From, "An Intergenerational Stirring: Why Christian Churches Should Adopt Public Schools" (March 2006, Tri-State Voice)

About New York's youth population

• By themselves, New York City's 2 million people 18 and under would constitute the fifth largest city in America
  
• Its 1.1 million public school students would be the 10th largest city
  
• Its 563,000 children who live below the poverty line would be the 25th largest city
  
• Its 470,000 15-19 year olds would be the 35th largest city

We have work to do! (More stats here.)

Compare: Top 50 Largest Cities in the U.S.

More on Myspace, MTV, and internet predators

Here and here.

More on why youth workers need to understand Myspace

Returning to a recent subject of this blog, and one which exerts increasing influence over youth:

"... [MySpace] now ranks 13th among all sites, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. ComScore Media Metrix places it fourth by total page views, two notches above Google. ...

"But success also draws a spotlight on MySpace's darker side.

"In Middletown, Conn., police suspect as many as seven teenage girls recently were fondled or had consensual sex with men they met on MySpace who turned out to be older than they claimed.

"In schools across the country, students have been suspended for threatening classmates on MySpace and, in a case outside Pittsburgh attracting the attention of the American Civil Liberties Union, for creating a phony profile under the principal's name and photo.

"Parry Aftab, who runs the Internet safety group WiredSafety, said most MySpace teens behave, but a good number are creating online alter egos with which they brag about nonexistent drinking and sexual conquests in a bid to appear cool.

"And as parents discover their kids' profiles, Aftab said, they start to worry and tell other parents, who in turn spread the alarm. Parents, in some cases, try to ban their children from MySpace or the Internet completely." Article.

For thoughts on an appropriate adult response, go here and here.

Photos

Jeremy & Dimas present new Coalition leaders as members pray for them.

Now's your chance

Coalition member ministries whose websites are not listed in the side bar, please email your website information. Thanks.

Congratulations, new co-chairs

If a three-person Godhead is good enough for Creation, it's a welcome model for the leadership of the Coalition! Congratulations to the newly elected co-chairs, a team of three who bring complimentary gifts to the role:

Kevin Young of Student Venture;
Walter Sotelo of Citivision; and
Marcus Smalls of World Vision.

They were chosen on February 10 by a vote of the outgoing and incoming leadership teams and publicly introduced at this morning's meeting.

Jeremy Camp concert goers invest in youth ministry in the City

Rock the Sound invited The Coalition of Urban Youth Workers to receive an offering at Saturday's Jeremy Camp concert. Even though it was a ticketed event and was not marketed as a benefit, attendees still contributed $1,600+ towards the ongoing efforts by the Coalition to mobilize and facilitate collaborative youth ministry in the City. Thanks Joel and Don and the Rock the Sound team for your generosity!