Empowerment Starts Here: Seven Principles to Empowering Urban Youth

About the Book

Empowerment Starts Here covers an experimental approach to social change within urban communities by way of seven distinct principles for student empowerment. Turning classroom methods into a school model, Preparatory School for Global Leadership was the first to experience student empowerment at a school-wide level. This book provides insight on how educators can increase the efficacy and achievement of urban youth. Angela Dye shares instructional methodologies and stories to help the reader develop an intimate understanding of the empowerment principles in action. Through these principles and methods, individuals can increase their capacity to combat the psychological, social, and political challenges associated with student achievement and real school reform.

Table of Contents:

Foreword
Prologue: The Mission to Empower
Chapter 1: The Construct of Empowerment
Chapter 2: The Power of Project Based Learning
Chapter 3: Service Learning and Empowerment
Chapter 4: Additional Programming
Chapter 5: The Power of Direct Instruction
Chapter 6: Assessments
Chapter 7: Accountability
Chapter 8: The Politics of Empowerment
Chapter 9: The Results of Empowerment
Epilogue: A Charge to the Urban Educators
Index
About the author

About the Author :
Angela Dye prides herself on being a product of the urban environment and has a background that personally identifies with the at-risk learners she serves. As a teacher, administrator, and author, Angela has developed an Empowerment Model instructional framework that combats the psychosocial challenges that impedes academic success.

Review :
This book breaks down the elements of student/adolescent empowerment into specific component parts. In the foreword Mary E. Diaz defines in detail the seven principles of empowerment that make up the social being and change model based on the curriculum of the Preparatory School for Global Leadership. Dye takes care to describe each of the seven principles in the context of minority education--providing a separate chapter on each, including an anecdotal section within each chapter to illustrate the points in a "real world" context. While the book does highlight a program serving minority students, the strategies that make up the seven principles are not limited to underrepresented populations. The work provides a solid overview of a broad empowerment curriculum, but there is little here in the way of new ideas. It is a good first read for those new to the concept of student empowerment; however, for those more well versed in the topic, the work provides little in the way of supporting evidence and lacks a research depth that would prove helpful. Perhaps useful in its articulation of implementation strategies, but less so in its theoretical development. Summing Up: Recommended. Our nation's educational system crisis compels educators to embrace and teach empowerment principles, so that students build productive dispositions and attitudes that result in active engagement in their own learning. Angela Dye's book provides an empowerment-based framework for teachers to guide students to change their thinking-- to change their behavior---to change their future. It is an instructional approach for teachers to build and maintain a culture of learning. As a business coach, I witness the achievement that is possible when business leaders share a future vision and culture their team can hope and believe in. But how can people choose better thoughts, attitudes and beliefs in a culture of blame, excuses and denial? Angela Dye has created a powerful model that can be used to foster social change not only in education, but also families, communities and organizations. The P3 Empowerment Model is a brilliant, powerful and proven roadmap that above all gives people hope; that it is truly possible to overcome "learned helplessness" and achieve self-actualization. Angela is a true visionary who lays out a compelling case for the transforming power of personal ownership, accountability, and responsibility...themes that ring true throughout many areas of our society. Powerful, powerful work - I need to get this program in my school. As an urban educator, the Empowerment model is the answer to developing the whole child. In our quest for improved academic growth, a piece is missing. This program is that critical piece! Our organization works with a number of charter schools that primarily serve low-income, minority families living in the urban core communities. Our current broken education system continues to accelerate the formation of a two-class system: those with the educational skills to compete in a global market and those without. These empowerment principles are a necessary tool for today's educators to stop this destructive trend. We must break the cycle of "Learned Helplessness" that is destroying our most vulnerable children and transform them into lifelong learners. Angela Dye has written a provocative and thought provoking book about empowerment where she reflects on her personal and professional expertise and experiences, as a teacher in an urban classroom. This has been an informative read for me, and once you start it will be for you also.

This absolutely represents my personal beliefs, “I made sure that the
methodologies for empowerment were just as ruthless as my students’ habits were
for failure… Empowerment was no longer an opportunity. It was a mandate.”
Whether you are an administrator, teacher or preacher, this book not only offers
theoretical but more importantly the practical methods to operate the seven
principles of empowerment. This book is filled with easily understood
definitions, personal testimonies and reflections, practical strategies and
tips, and real-life examples. “When I became what I taught, when I empowered
myself in spaces where there was no one there to empower me, when I chose to
succeed without excuses, I became a living lesson.” Hats off to you Ms. Dye,
this is a great read!