COREientation 2020 & CORE’s Formula for Success

September 16, 2020

Each year COREientation plays a vital role in starting off our programming by engaging Scholars in the expectations and culture that bind together our CORE Community. While we couldn’t gather in person this year, skipping this essential event was never an option and our team worked together to create our first ever virtual COREientation! Delivered in both English and Spanish during four different time slots between September 8th and 10th, our virtual gathering was designed to engage with all of our families and Scholars to ensure maximum participation.

During COREientation the Scholars and their families virtually participated in an ice breaker activity, heard from CORE leadership, met the CORE team members, reviewed essential participation forms and received information on the updated programming schedule for distance learning. One particularly important updated document also made its debut: CORE’s Formula for Success.

Developed specifically for CORE Scholars, the Formula for Success is a series of seventeen expectations that form the basis for our culture of hard work, integrity, and kindness. The formula is affirmatively focused, using positive expectations that the Scholars focus on carrying out, rather than a code of conduct based in policing “don’ts.” This new approach grew out of a series of restorative justice-based trainings that were held for all members of our programming team. Our Programming Director, Renisha O’Donnell, explains that she “…really believes that kids don’t learn from punitive action. I feel it’s more important to challenge our youth to think critically about what they did, why they did it, and how to repair it.”

As a pledge of accountability and a roadmap to accomplishment, all participating Scholars signed the expectations and acknowledged their active responsibility in following CORE’s Formula for Success. CORE is an infrastructure for educational success, and our formula is at the heart of encouraging Scholars to take an active and mindful approach on their individual path toward success.

Here are the seventeen affirmative guidelines we have developed to keep our Scholars accountable for themselves, their peers, and our community:

I will be respectful to all CORE staff and volunteers who are here to support and guide me.
I will be original with my work (ex. Avoid cheating, plagiarizing, copying other people’s work)
I will be truthful in my words and actions.
I will do my individual best in my academics and give it my all to reach my potential.
I will stay away from any controlled substance which includes possession, use, purchase, or selling of any kind of drug, cigarettes, vaping, alcohol, and anything that is illegal for me to engage with. I will be randomly drug tested.
I will respect my body
I will treat myself and others with the kindness and respect that all humans deserve.
I will be a positive model for my community by following all state and federal laws.
I will participate in healthy activities while observing social distancing guidelines.
I will use intelligent and respectful language with scholars and staff at all times.
I will keep my hands to myself and respect others’ personal space.
I will be responsible and consistent with my attendance in school and with CORE.
I will be respectful of private and public property and properly use technology to include social media and other websites.
I will show gratitude for everything that I have and receive.
I will do my personal best in everything I do.
I will ask for help and advocate for myself when I need it.
I will take relevant breaks and rest when needed.