In 2001, while a fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University in Cambridge, I was asked to lead a one semester study to uncover the answer to this question:
Luckily, our research was made easy by the fact that we had the perfect laboratory right in front of us:18 first-generation Latino students from poor families attending and succeeding at one of the toughest institutions in the world-all while their families and friends were living in conditions under which their life had little hope of improving.
By semester’s end we had the answer:
In every case, someone had intervened in the child’s life and planted a foreign thought, and thus, a new expectation: “You are going to college.” All the Harvard students credited either a teacher or a parent with setting that expectation - one that became real in their minds. And real in their life.
The way to solve the problem became obvious:
In designing YOKC, we have taken that learning, packaged it, tested it, and refined it. So that now, that new expectation with full curriculum can be delivered daily in classrooms and in the home three times a week.
Of course, not every child will go to Harvard. Not every child will or should attend traditional college. Still every child should be motivated to pursue whatever education they choose beyond high school. Let’s begin by having every student and every parent set higher educational expectations. For themselves. And for the their family. It can change the world.
Yes! Our Kids Can promotes a Success Mindset SM, which includes strategies and tactics for instilling grit, resilience, high expectations and aspirations, self-efficacy, and character building. The bilingual program, which begins in PreSchool, utilizes fun, culturally-relevant songs, videos, activities and games, along with messages that reach and motivate parents three times a week on their smartphones.
It also includes an on-demand video training portal for parents and teachers. Because of its unique digital delivery system, YOKC is scalable and affordable. It adds thousands of users without duplicating infrastructure or manpower. Measurability is built into the software that tracks usage in real-time, reporting in detail how parents are engaging with the content and how their children are completing activities.