Pearls of Perfection is the product of an idea and an example of what any of us can do to help make a difference.
In the bold city of Jacksonville the hearts of two urban middle schools combined. With the integration of two diverse, yet similar bodies of children came a great concern. Thus, educational stakeholders with a heart for community collaborated in hopes of developing a creative solution to this unique challenge.
ASK A QUESTION
How can we impact the achievement of girls in the Jacksonville community?
In a culture where school is not the priority, the lives of many girls ages 11-14 have the following issues: low performance in academics, domestic disturbances, low social skills, lack of dreams, and more negatives impacts on their future.
STATE THE HYPOTHESIS
If an organization is developed that provides mentoring, exposure and academic enrichment for adolescent girls, then student achievement will increase.
In May of 2011, a group of four girls helped develop Pearls of Perfection. Pearls of Perfection’s charter members partnered with educators from Paxon and Eugene Butler Middle Schools to establish the organization’s strategic plan.
CONDUCT THE EXPERIMENT
In June of 2011, six girls from Paxon and Eugene Butler Middle Schools were selected to participate in Pearls of Perfection’s summer pilot. These young ladies evaluated each activity. Based on feedback from the summer pilot activities, a calendar was created for the upcoming school year.
In August of 2011, Eugene Butler Middle School welcomed its first class of relocated students due to the Paxon-Butler merger. Approximately 50 seventh and eighth grade female students were initiated into the group and strategically connected.
During the 2011-2012 school year, Pearls of Perfection’s first cohort met monthly and was actively engaged in various life changing activities. This cohort set the stage for members to come.