BRIYA PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

Executive Director Christie McKay explains how it works. “Our two-generation model is when a parent and a child, or two parents and a number of children, go to school and are able to pursue their education together. We have parents who come and take English class and literacy classes and then we have children who are also participating in early childhood classes.”

 

McKay says it’s a model that has been proven to work. “There’s a lot of research that shows that it’s very hard for a child to be successful in school if their mother is not able to read. A mother’s ability to read and a mother’s education has a huge impact, greater than where a family lives, their socioeconomic status and the quality of the school. And many times it’s very hard for a parent to be able to go back to school because they may have a young one at home. Having the parent’s education combined with the child’s really makes a difference and we expect to see the long term positive impact on the social and economic indicators of both the child and the adult.”

 

McKay says the education parents receive at Briya can turn into jobs and the ability to better support their families. “Every parent maps out what their goals are for coming to school. If they want to get their high school diploma they can get it here. We also have a workforce development program so they can become a registered medical assistant or they can also get their Child Development Associate credential.”