When Charnese Evans was offered the Education Manager position at Jubilee, she was nervous and excited. Although she had served as a lifelong child advocate through her work in program delivery and social work for other agencies, her background was not in education. Encouraged to apply by friend and former Chief Program Officer Marjorie Murat after successfully running her pilot STEM program, Be a Genius Girl, at Jubilee’s summer camp, Charnese recalls telling Marjorie “But I’m not a teacher!” What Charnese did have was a unique perspective in child welfare, an instinct for programs, and a heart for Dallas’s underserved.
In November 2019, Charnese hit the ground running as Jubilee’s new Education Manager. She had the right team and a clear vision for education programming at Jubilee, but when the COVID-19 pandemic hit she knew she would have to adapt quickly to ensure her students weren’t left behind. Quickly pivoting such a large program would be a tall order, but as a practitioner of trauma-informed care, Charnese understood how high the stakes really were.
“This pandemic was a trauma for our kids,” Charnese explains. Her background and focus on child welfare and advocacy meant that a recognition of and sensitivity to trauma was baked into the education program. A cornerstone of trauma-informed care is the creation of strong, connected relationships to promote a sense of stability. “It was a priority to make sure that kids are connected to caring adults. Being virtual made that harder.”
Only a few months into her new job, Charnese executed a major shift in education programming when she realized that the learning software they had been using was not promoting connection between students and teachers and was not conducive to the new virtual program model. She knew her students were not receiving the care they needed, and mid-program, she made the decision to switch to a hands-on learning software.
“Because the new curriculum is more involved [for instructors], instructors have that one-on-one and can identify challenges, where kids are, and tailor the child’s experience to them.”
As the era of virtual programming draws to a close and Charnese begins preparing for in-person summer camp, her focus remains unwaveringly on helping change the trajectory of people’s lives in Southeast Dallas through education. She envisions afterschool at Jubilee as a “door opener,” where students receive the resources they need to thrive. Charnese strives to foster leaders in afterschool, with the hope that one day they might return to drive change in their community, too.
“Our kids need resources and access,” Charnese says. “I want people to understand that by not investing in Southeast Dallas, we are all missing out. These kids are contributors. They have value. They have a right to thrive. They have talent. They have drive, dreams, and ability, but they need opportunities. They need chances.”