At Beacon of Hope, we feel it is important that students in Lynchburg City begin to dream about their future and expect great things. This we believe, needs to start early in education.
In 2013, Beacon of Hope created a Kids to College initiative which serves many of our elementary schools in the LCS district.
In Kindergarten through second grade, students learn about four major topics in regards to their future. The topics are:
Learning the year when you will graduate from high school allows students to look into their future and set a high expectation to achieve. Students also learn that it will take hard work and a plan to reach their goals.
The plan we work on is:
At Beacon of Hope, we believe college is an “umbrella term” for post-secondary education. It’s that second piece of paper – whether it’s a 2-year degree, 4-year degree, trade or industry certification, or enlisting in the military – students are taught that each are different and important.
Each of these pathways are discussed and overall, students learn the importance of continuing their education after high school.
Students are asked about what they may want to be when they grow up, yet in a slightly different way. We explore a wide variety of careers and explain how most jobs fix things or help people. We also identify the fact that each job is needed in order for our community to run properly.
Students learn the importance of identifying their support systems. We discuss the value and need for others to come alongside us throughout our journey. We also identify co-pilots in our lives both in and out of school so we know who we can go to for support.
Co-Pilot Prerequisites:
These lessons were created to encourage students to think past tomorrow, and we are so excited to be able to bring these lessons into our schools. This initiative lays the foundation for our young students to start preparing now for the great things to come!