Chester W. Barrows is a small elementary school on Beachmont
Street in Cranston, Rhode Island. There
are grades Kindergarten through fifth grade, meaning children range from ages
five and eleven. This school can be
classified as a title one school which as we know from FNED is also known as: “According
to the National Center for Education Statistics, to be an eligible Title
I school, at least 40% of a school's students must be from
low-income families who qualify under the United States Census's definition of
low-income, according to the U.S. Department of Education.” The reason I tell you about Chester Barrows is about two years ago my mother, Katrina Pillay became principal of this little school and since then the
entire school has changed. On Friday October 9th, Chester Barrows
was able to cut the ribbon and celebrate a brand new playground. They were one of the only schools in the state
that did not have one and my mom along with a group of others worked their ass
off to achieve this goal. So I know we
talk a lot about youth holding the power and “it’s critical for young people to
be at the center of change in every community”.
But what I realized was my mom is helping to create her own youth in
action, or at least a place where youth can come and feel safe. Although YIA is very different than an
elementary school while I watched her cut the ribbon for the playground, my mom
is attempting to build a better future and community for youth. It is so inspiring to see how much the school
has changed since she has been principal.
