|
Listen to this article here
|
Sign-Up for a free subscription to The Black Wall Street Times‘ daily newsletter, Black Editors’ Edition (BEE) – our curated news selections & opinions by us for you.
KIPP Tulsa University Prep will be piloting a career and financial literacy course for its 9th through 12th grade students beginning in the Fall of 2022. The new curriculum, College Knowledge (CKCS), was created by the KIPP Foundation and hosted by KIPP’s Forward office. It offers grade level appropriate information for career and financial literacy.
KIPP forward replaces KIPP Tulsa’s “to and through college” initiative, which gives KIPP Tulsa alumni access to resources to help them beyond college.
“KIPP Forward is our newly rebranded college career and beyond office,” Ray’Chel Wilson, Director of Development for KIPP Tulsa Schools, told The Black Wall Street Times. “So, this is going to be our office that prepares students 9th through 12th grade and beyond, even as they’re alumni, to enter college, to enter the workforce, to enter tech, to enter as entrepreneurs, really to be able to be financially literate and contribute to our society and beyond,” she said.
More than a number
The course offers software that helps match students with colleges and career opportunities based on interest, rather than test scores. “It’s mainly based on their interests, not really too much of test scores when it comes to career options,” Wilson said.
“It’s like what type of activities do you like to do? What do you find enjoyable? What do you not like? And then it shares multiple different careers that they might be interested in at various ranges like 99% interest, 50% interest, and then it shows you the different skills within that career that are needed,” she added.
Ray’Chel of KIPP Tulsa: Leading by Example
Wilson has had personal success with financial literacy since graduating college in 2019. “One of my biggest wealth accomplishments was paying off my undergraduate loans in under two years of graduating,” she told The Black Wall Street Times.
As a teacher, Wilson recognized the necessity for financial literacy in both the classroom as well as the community.
“I put it on myself to create something and I realized this solution needs to exist outside of the classroom and better yet, it also needs to exist for businesses and organizations that employ minorities, students that are just like our kids.” She spoke. Her work in the classroom inspired her to expand her financial services to the community as well.
“So, in short, my business started in the classroom by being inspired by my students, and now Raise The Bar Investments, LLC., operates here in Tulsa and beyond.” She added that having resources to close the racial and gender wealth gap would be empowering to individuals and businesses.
KIPP Tulsa College Preparatory opened as a public charter middle school in North Tulsa in 2005. Since its inception, KIPP has opened a high school, and recently graduated its first class in May of 2022.