PK-16 Education - Community Engagement

The PK-16 Education Committee focuses on supporting Pontiac PK-12 student’s education, as well as helping parents and families to be partners in their children’s education. In addition, the partners work to strengthen the connections between Pontiac Schools and Oakland University, particularly regarding bridging high school graduation and initial college experiences.

Pillar Leads

Jon Margerum-Leys
Dean
School of Education
Oakland University
jmargerumleys@oakland.edu

Kelley Williams
Superintendent
Pontiac School District
kelley.williams@pontiacschools.org

Objectives

Continue to help parents and families to be partners in their children’s education through the development of Parent University
Support middle school students’ algebra skills through algebra workshops and other experiences
Provide field experiences to Oakland University students and educational experiences to Pontiac Schools students
Support the success of Pontiac School students who face challenges such as English language learning, post-traumatic stress and poverty
Strengthen the connections between Pontiac Schools and Oakland University, particularly regarding bridging high school graduation and initial college experiences

Initiatives

Patient Care Technician Program

The Patient Care Technician (PCT) training program at Pontiac High School offers high school students the opportunity to prepare for the healthcare workforce. Students gain competencies as nursing assistants while also learning diagnostic procedures through clinical rotations. “This program has eliminated barriers for many of our students,” said Kelley Williams, superintendent of Pontiac School District.

For more information regarding this program, please contact: Celia Knobelsdorf caknobelsdorf@oakland.edu (248) 364-8716

Pontiac Middle School/OU Tutoring Program

Oakland University supports more than 350 Pontiac middle school students’ academic growth by providing Math and English tutors to work with students two days per week. The tutoring program is designed to improve Pontiac middle school students’ performances on standardized tests, classroom/homework assignments and to bolster student attendance at each grade level. The tutor program was sponsored by ty the OU - Pontiac Initiative Community Impact Sponsorship Award and the Oakland County Links, Inc.

OUPIECE

OU - Pontiac Initiative's Early Childhood Education group was established to address disparities within Pontiac pertaining to early childhood learning and development and maternal and infant health. Through grants, OUPIECE has hosted several screenings of the documentary “Resilience: The biology of Stress & the Science of Hope” throughout Pontiac to discuss impact of trauma on learning and development.

For more information about OUPIECE, contact:
Dr. Shannan McNair: mcnair@oakland.edu
Dr. Tomoko Wakabayshi: twakabayashi@oakland.edu

Pontiac Parent University

Parent University is a nationally recognized program designed to empower parents to be strong advocates and partners in their child’s education. Parents are encouraged to participate in free workshops throughout the school year. A variety of workshops fall under Pontiac Parent University’s four focus areas:

Health & Wellness
Positive Parenting
Navigating the Educational System
Personal Development

Past workshops included: Zumba with Beaumont Hospital , Healthy Cooking classes with Gleaners, FAFSA workshops with Oakland University Financial Aid Office, Mental Health Series with CNS Healthcare and more.

To learn more about Pontiac Parent University and how to be involved, contact Paola Nkwuzor at paola.nkwuzor@pontiacschools.org.

Outcome Data

Oakland University’s Reading Language Arts (RLA) Department provided 710 hours of one-to-one instruction to Pontiac youth

RLA faculty members participated in three parent nights
Oakland University student provided one-on-one tutoring to a child who was struggling with reading at Whitman Elementary School via an undergraduate independent study (16 hours of instruction provided)
Provided monthly after-school activities that integrated literacy at the Baldwin Center
Exposed 6,916 Pontiac students to careers