THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, September 27, 2024 Page 11 SKILLS | FROM PAGE 11 has a weaker leadership that hinders their ability to apply for grants and use them to improve the lives of their fellow citizens. Haitians and other Black demographics would need alternative ways to use available resources and create programs ARPA funds could be used for. Be it the 2009 President Obama’s stimulus package or the COVID ARPA funds, some vulnerable ethnic groups barely had funding going directly to their communities to use as culturally and linguistically fit. Hence, based on experience and years of observations and direct community involvement, I’d like to propose that municipalities set aside some funds be it ARPA, Title I, Title III or other funds for Education, Leadership Development, Communication, Cross-Cultural skills, and Tech Outreach to communities with less structured leadership. Some staff could be hired to manage those allocated funds, something similar to a line item that will go towards grassroots leadership development, cross-cultural, technology skills, English language and/ or ESL training for group(s) that need it. As a veteran educator, I always believe that to bridge the Achievement /Opportunity Gap, we have to bring the leadership together to focus on creating an internal learning and literary environment that is on par with the school curriculum and culture. Training stakeholders on school curriculum and culture, doing Tech Outreach, providing basic technology skills, learning English and many other skills needed to navigate life in a new city or country will fall within the realm of Education that ARPA and other educational funds allow. Having been active in the region for five decades, I am seeing the lack of basic skills, understanding of the US culture, learning, and cross-cultural awareness that were not built up over half a century is creating a colossal crisis we are facing now with new migrants having Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and holders of President Biden’s two-year Humanitarian Parole Program. Allocating, and/or “setting aside,” some of the ARPA funds for group(s) with weaker leadership and hire some staff to help run it until 2026 will have longterm benefits locally, regionally, and nationwide. Nekita Lamour is an educator with a theological formation from the former Cambridge-based Weston Jesuit School of Theology that merged with Boston College in 2008. She has been a Ward 5 resident for 25 years and a cultural organizer for more than 15 years. Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma
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