With Covid Emergency Declarations Lifted, Families Experiencing Pandemic’s Economic Impact Find Support In Community School And Financial Literacy Program
School officials say taking care of the whole family reduces absenteeism and helps students succeed.
Northridge, CA – With the recent lifting of L.A. County’s COVID emergency declarations on March 31, 2023, and a shift away for many from health, families living in underserved communities continue to grapple with the pandemic’s financial impact and related hardships, including inflation, housing displacement and changes in employment. These conditions impact their ability to prepare for the future, and for their children, the propensity to stay in school.
To help families lessen stress, plan ahead and remove barriers to learning, Magnolia Science Academy - 7 Northridge (MSA-7), a TK-5th grade STEAM-based elementary school located at 18355 Roscoe Boulevard serving 263 students, has turned to a new model of community school offering resources that directly respond to the needs of students and their families, as well as financial literacy. For parents and staff, financial literacy programs begin Wednesday, April 12, 2023, from 5-6 p.m., while students can join a Financial Literacy Club on Tuesdays between 2:30-3:30 p.m.
“We serve a community that experiences great hardship, so our school is really a hub of diverse resources that help meet varied and expansive needs our parents face,” said Meagan Wittek, principal at MSA-7. “In the last three years, we’ve had 36 families move out of the area because of lack of housing affordability, almost 80% of our students are on the federal free and reduced lunch program, and some of our families are newcomers, refugees and recent arrivals from Guatemala, Mexico and even Ukraine. We have to think outside the box – think beyond the whole child and instead provide support to the whole family so that the child can succeed,” added Wittek.
MSA-7’s community school model includes partnerships with community and government agencies that offer a comprehensive approach to student wellbeing inclusive of health, social services, academics, development and more. In addition, and in response to a School Needs and Assessment Survey of families and staff revealing that families are deeply affected by the pandemic’s economic repercussions and need financial literacy support, MSA-7 partnered with World Financial Group, a life insurance and investment firm dedicated to educating individuals on how to build wealth, to offer a series of financial literacy evening workshops in English and Spanish beginning on April 12, 2023, from 5-6 p.m. The workshops are offered on a rotating schedule, one month in-person and one month on Zoom. They are also recorded so parents can review them.
While parents and staff learn money management and planning basics, students in grades 3-5 can join a Financial Literacy Club on Tuesdays from 2:30-3:30 p.m., which helps them understand how money works and create achievable financial goals for adulthood.
“Having a solid grasp of financial literacy is a crucial benefit to growing up and adulthood, which is why I wanted to offer a Financial Literacy Club to our students,” said Alex Melloy, a second grade teacher at MSA-7, and founder of the school’s Financial Literacy Club for students. “I was well into adulthood when I learned how to properly handle credit, loans, investments, etc., and I’m still learning in my thirties. We offer students an advantage when they’re headed to middle and high school already having been exposed to financial literacy,” added Melloy.
The MSA-7 survey also found that parents rely on school for more than academics for their children. They look to the school for emotional, vision, dental, mental and financial support. Financial literacy workshops and home visits aimed at learning the needs of local families, are just some of the many ways in which MSA-7 educators are taking care of the whole family in order to ensure student academic success. MSA-7 also leads equity-oriented supports for families including a mobile dental clinic that provides free exams, vision support, three mobile vaccine clinics offering flu and COVID vaccines and testing, mental health support, an open community closet, a stipend for school uniforms for each student, and a diaper drop-off location in partnership with Baby to Baby, a nonprofit organization that provides children living in underserved communities with basic necessities.
The school hopes an increase in parent engagement adds up to improved student attendance.
"I really love that everyone knows my kids’ names and that there’s help for us,” says Veronica Contreras, a parent at MSA-7. “For example, last year was hard for us financially, the school gave us a new car seat and gave the kids gifts for the holidays. We couldn’t afford to give them much, but they were so excited with the gifts the school gave them," she added.
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