Curriculum

The V(i)llage™ curriculum was designed to facilitate the development of participant's critical thought + analysis skills when intellectually engaging in K-12 learning spaces.   

  

 

 

    The V(i)llage™ program expectations are achieved by assessing the individualized needs of students, then applying nuanced educational modules of learning in the classroom. Specifically, the curriculum teaches students how to achieve our six program target areas: leadership, scholarship, advocacy, involvement, community and culture. These six expectations comprise what we call a student learner profile, which is tracked per semester. The V(i)llage™ curriculum draws heavily from student leadership, identity and educational development research (Hotchkins, 2014, 2016, 2017; Hotchkins & Dancy, 2015) that examines how students navigate educational environments by engaging in meaningful roles during high school and college. Our curriculum teaches students to develop intergenerational, sociocultural and contextual understandings of society in effort to navigate school environments. 

    In The V(i)llage™ students must work together to design and conduct a Community Service Project, complete the ‘College Fit Matrix’ and develop a Cultural Educational Project that celebrates the contributions of underrepresented groups in America. The V(i)llage™ curriculum utilizes Understanding by Design® frameworks (McTighe & Wiggins, 2012) to reinforce how our participants learn to process information, share stories, write persuasively, team-build, conduct animated performances and educative gaming. We do so by identifying anticipated results, setting assessment metrics and pre-planning learning experiences and instruction. Finally, we invest in the intellectual and cultural development of students by setting the highest standards, which we expect them to achieve. In doing so, we utilize the lived experiences of participants to guide discussions and ensure curriculum is interactive and applicable in real life situations.

    The V(i)llage™ post-program research has found that participants experience an increased understanding of what it means to be a leader, strengthen academic preparedness, become engaged/involved and to be culturally validated. The following published literature informs the curriculum target areas of leadership, scholarship, advocacy, involvement, community and culture and design. 

Conley, D. T. (2007). Redefining College Readiness. Educational Policy Improvement Center, 1(1), 1-32.

Farrington, C. A., Roderick, M., Allensworth, E., Nagaoka, J., Keyes, T. S., Johnson, D. W., & Beechum, N. O. (2012). Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners: The Role of Noncognitive Factors in Shaping School Performance--A Critical Literature Review. Consortium on Chicago School Research. 1313 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

Hotchkins, B. K. (Accepted, 2017). Black female leaders at predominantly White institutions: Narratives of identity politics, well-being and mobility. NASPA Journal About Women.

Hotchkins, B. K. & Dancy, T. E. (Accepted, 2017). Black student’ responses to racism in university residential hall. Journal of College and University Student Housing.

Hotchkins, B. K. (2016). African American males navigate racial microaggressions. Teachers College Record, 118(6), 1-36.

Hotchkins, B. K. & Dancy, T. E. (2015). Black male student leaders in predominantly White universities: Stories of Power, persistence and preservation. Western Journal of Black Studies, 39(1), 30-44.

Hotchkins, B. K. (2014). Guess who’s coming to the meeting? African American student leadership experiences unpacked. College Student Affairs Journal, 32(1), 171-188.

McTighe, J., & Wiggins, G. (2012). Understanding by Design® framework. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Warren, C.A. & Hotchkins, B. K. (2015). Teacher education and the enduring significance of “false empathy.” The Urban Review, 47(2), 266-292.