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A Business Blooms in Jacksonville, academic coaches, academic coaching, brands, business feature, communities, educational consultant, entrepreneurs, FSA, graduation rates, high school, homeschooling, Jacksonville business, learning, Melanie Black, middle school, struggling learners, Student Futures
~Achieving Self-discipline, Self-motivation & Self-efficacy~
To me education is a leading out of what is already there in the pupil’s soul. To Miss Mackay it is a putting in of something that is not there, and that is not what I call education. I call it intrusion. ~Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Image taken from Google Images
Our most precious resource is a young mind wanting to learn.
Image taken from Google Images
The Student Futures Brand: The Evolution of the Educationally Cool
The evolution of someone or something is a chance to watch it or the person change and manifest into what he, she or it was meant to be. At first, someone who has potential may not look like it based on appearance, past experiences or current circumstances. Sometimes a student is judged by his or her background, disciplinary record, educational label(s) or test scores. He or she may be a little rough around the edges. But there is no excuse to give up on him or her.
Potential is inside of him or her, waiting like buried treasure to be discovered.
It takes someone with courage, passion and fortitude to mine that treasure and develop it into the gold mine of knowledge and opportunities destined to effect change in his or her community and world.
It takes someone who has served as a teacher, volunteer and administrator in the educational ranks and is determined to continue encouraging students by providing guidance in all areas of their academic, social and personal lives.
It takes a company that is able to show students how succeeding in school, graduating with a diploma and moving forward into their collegiate or professional lives is not only an expectation, but a key characteristic of those who choose to be educationally cool.
Student Futures is the company
that is positioned in the forefront
to take students to the next level.
Our Mission
Student Futures is dedicated to helping students reach their full potential by creating opportunities for personal growth through quality education and client support.
We are a company that wants to help students maintain success through high school, college and beyond. Through academic coaching students can improve academically and develop the motivation, skills, and passion to succeed. Thus, making them lifelong learners. We believe that ALL students can succeed.
Our Values
- We put students first.
- We value education.
- We do our best to help the “whole” student.
- We believe with the right tools ALL students can succeed regardless of race, creed, gender, or disability.
Our Conception
Student Futures was founded by Melanie Black to help struggling students become successful life long learners. Melanie Black’s background offers an advantage with this business as she has over eight years of experience in the education industry. She is familiar with the local education system and programs as well as familiar with local higher education institutions. After attending the Grad Nation Summit in Jacksonville, Florida and learning about how much local students are struggling, Melanie was inspired to start Student Futures in hopes of raising the graduation rates in high schools, colleges, and universities.
Today’s educational system is becoming increasingly competitive for both students and institutions. Students must learn as much as they can, and learn it effectively. The key to a student’s success is self-efficacy, self-motivation, and self-discipline. As educational institutions become more competitive, and are required to increase their standards, there will be more of a need for private academic coaches who can give students the consistent personalized attention they need to be successful.
Our Service
Student Futures provides personalized academic coaching sessions for teens age 13-19 who are struggling in school.
Unlike a tutor who helps a student with one subject, academic coaching offers help with the student’s whole approach to school.
Melanie Black’s Vision for Student Futures
I want the students I coach to be able to be successful members in the Jacksonville business community, thus, helping our local community thrive.
I hope to have helped hundreds of students achieve their dreams, and I hope to be involved with local schools and organizations. I want to help local schools and organizations develop strategies to motivate and empower students to succeed.
Meet Melanie Black, Founder of Student Futures
“One of my goals is to continue to be a humanitarian who helps our local community. I am passionate about my relentless pursuit of knowledge and desire to help others.”
Passion, a positive attitude, self-confidence, a determination to succeed and not be afraid of failure–these are the qualities that describe an effective businesswoman such as Melanie Black. As she networks with other business owners, Melanie infuses her conversation with such fervor about the educational field. You will leave her presence knowing that she absolutely loves helping students.
She understands that educators are responsible for educating the whole child. Melanie sees herself in the students she have reached in her classrooms. She struggled in school, but she had a strong will and ambition to keep pushing forward. Her willingness to persevere fits so well in coaching students. Melanie knows that everyone has a gift inside of him or her, a talent that he or was meant to share with the world in order to impact and shape it into the potential it was meant to be.
Melanie Black has taken her gift and expanded it outside of the classroom, reaching the educational masses and helping them to achieve the possible, not impossible, dream.
The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. ~Sydney J. Harris
Bio
Melanie Black is a dedicated, ambitious and goal-driven professional with eight+ years experience in the field of education as an educator, mentor and program coordinator. She has achieved documented and quantified success in facilitating programs for incorporating and encouraging intellectual and social development in young adults.
After graduating from the University of North Florida in 2006 she accepted a teaching position with Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville, Florida. Being certified in both social sciences and English Language Arts has provided her the opportunity to teach an array of subjects ranging from history to writing to public speaking to career and college planning. She taught classes in the Cambridge AICE program as well as the A.V.I.D. program. Melanie worked as a Community Content Leader with Teach for America where she mentored new teachers. She has also worked with Communities in Schools, a dropout prevention organization, as a teacher. Melanie has volunteered with Junior Achievement where she taught their curriculum at Pace Center for Girls. Melanie is on an uncompromising mission to help others achieve success, and to lead by example.
From Classroom to Boardroom: Melanie’s Journey in Starting Student Futures
Being an educator for eight years has helped me understand how to help students with their approach to academics so that they may be successful and reach their goals. Educational requirements and standards are constantly changing and students have to adhere to all the modifications, which can cause a lot of anxiety over academics. I believe that some students can benefit from consistent guidance to get on the right track. While teaching I had students consistently coming to me during my planning period requesting guidance. I realized what an impact I could make as an academic coach for teens. This is one reason why I started Student Futures.
One lesson I have learned is not to give up. Owning your own business can be tough but it is important to remember why you are doing what you are doing in the first place. For me the answer has to do with following my passion for education and helping students succeed. Always follow your passion!
Guiding Parents through the Goliaths of FSA & Common Core Standards–Melanie’s Advice
Parents need to understand that the standards are guidelines for instruction and curriculum will still be decided locally. The local district designs a curriculum framework targeting Common Core tests and standards for school personnel to use when creating and implementing lesson plans. It is important to understand that school districts and teachers can choose to include more or different material based on these frameworks, if they think it will help students be successful. As an educator I believe teaching is an art. An artist will often sketch something before painting it or have specific guidelines to which they adhere. In schools teachers use the standards and curriculum framework as guidelines, but the lessons they create and implement based on the framework and standards become something magnificent, which inspires, motivates, and empowers students to succeed.
Seeing the Rise in What Others May Call Defeat
There is a story about a man who gave up on life. He settled for where he was. It wasn’t until a guardian who had been watching over him the whole time had spoken to him and called forth the valor that was inside of him. There are students in the Jacksonville area who have settled for where they are academically. Melanie Black can bring to the surface the academic potential that was there all along.
Let Student Futures coach Jacksonville students into pillars of academic success!
Contact Information:
Website: http://studentfutures.org/
Phone Number: (904) 487-8269
Email: hello@studentfutures.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studentfutures
Twitter: https://twitter.com/4StudentFutures
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/studentfutures/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/melanie-black/41/5a3/802
A Business Blooms In Jacksonville 