Many of the world’s most influential leaders and business executives, despite seeming self-reliant, needed the help of the community around them to achieve success. Barack Obama might have never become President if it wasn’t for his advisors and teachers in Chicago. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella frequently discusses how learning collaboration and teamwork from his cricket teammates has helped him get where he is. The same idea applies to the students of today. Many young people feel like they must do everything on their own, or that it is considered less impressive to get help from others. The truth is, having a strong community around a student is vital for their success.
What is a Community?
When people hear the word community they often think of neighborhoods or towns, focusing more on the physical place around them. But for students, communities are much broader than a physical place. It’s an ecosystem of people and organizations that shape the student in and out of the classrooms. These communities can be families, teachers, classmates, coaches, mentors, and other local organizations that provide guidance and resources. Libraries, non-profits, and local businesses can all play a role in supporting student success. Communities can do so much more than just provide resources. They can create opportunities and give support to students, guiding them along journeys that they don’t have to take themselves.
The Many Ways Communities Shape Student Success
The most common form of support is academic, right in the classroom. Teachers, tutors, study groups, and after-school programs can directly help students with their education and learning habits. The goodwill of a single teacher who puts in effort into explaining a tricky concept or who inspires a discouraged student can make all the difference for that student. Local businesses can help out by offering job-shadow or mentoring programs that can help support students through their career journeys. Each aspect of the community has the potential to offer unique things to support student success.
Even small actions can go a long way in supporting the learning process for students. A professional volunteering to speak at a school, or a college student helping a high schooler with an application can lead to new opportunities and pathways that a student hadn’t considered, or seen possible before.
Emotional support can be just as important. Most students go through episodes of self-doubt, anxiety, depression, or failure. During these stressful moments, support from family, friends, mentors, or coaches make it possible for students to push through these tough times.
Engaging within the community itself also provides students with key leadership experience. Young people can develop their leadership skills by planning local events, coaching younger students, engaging in community service initiatives, or working with specialists that can give the students real responsibilities. All these experiences develop key skills that students will use later in life and are harder to come by if a student is alone.
Author: Rishi Dommeti (Media Department Member)
