In this project, the client came to, me with an approximately 1400 word brief. His idea was to streamline and connect several broad ideas so that he could present a cohesive narrative to members of congress and The Heritage Foundation, in the hopes of gaining support for his vision. This piece is the cornerstone of his effort to revise and reform the way our communities ineteract and our children are educated. The turn around time for this project was about 3 days from inception, or initial consultation, to delivery. I was able to have a few phone converstaions with him to better understand his vision and goals. I then used the information presented to me to create a beautifully composed narrative for his audience. I used basic research, along with my copy editing and persuasive writing skills to execute this task.

Please note: I have included a flat copy of the writing. I have a fully formatted and optimized version on my website.

 

  If you could rewind time back to your child hood, what would you change? If you could speak to the leaders, teachers and adults in your life, to offer advice on how things could have better benefitted you as a child and a community member, what type of advice would you offer?  As you look at your own children and the communities they live in, the schools they attend, the lives they lead on a dailybasis—are you satisfied? Do you feel like changes for the better could or should be made?

The Portfolio team believes that there is an urgent need for improvement. We believe that there is a revolutionary new way to structure our communities, educate and raise our children, and interact with our fellow citizens. At Portfolio, we believe that the government funded school system, where children are treated like a number, forced to sit behind a desk for eight hours a day, and learn very little, if anything, about how to function as an adult member of society--needs to end.

 

  Today’s school system is broken. There is no question about that. Children are simply falling through the cracks. Each year, there are thousands of children who are pushed through the school system and awarded a diploma, without ever having achieved a fifth-grade level of understanding or aptitude in reading. They are carelessly shuffled through the system in such a way that their needs are often times unnoticed or perhaps even ignored. Burdened by bureaucratic red tape, teachers and administrators lack the manpower and capabilities they need to handle the issues that face them. It is truly a wretched cycle for some students, and often times leads to lives of crime, incarceration or drug abuse.

There is a plethora of reasons as to why many students fall behind or give up. The pressure on schools to meet unilateral guidelines, given to them by both the federal and state government, makes the teaching process aim to achieve all too harmful goals. For example, many states have enacted a state assessment test. Teachers are required to not only teach the core curriculums, but must now allocate much of their time toward teaching students how to pass the mandated test. Children are not able to participate in activities that foster critical thinking and creativity, instead they are taught best practices in test taking. The results are inevitably uninspiring.

Couple this with the compulsory attendancerequirements, which are said to not impact funding allocations, but almostcertainly do, school districts, along with parents and students can quicklybecome unnecessarily burdened.  The thought of a seventh grader having zero autonomy over whether their parent can get them to school never crosses the minds of the legislators. The lack ofattendance for some students is completely out of their control.

Whether it bean absent or neglectful parent, or in some cases financial hardships that prevent students from attending schools, none of it is within the control of the child. Yet, attendance officers have been given authority to remove a child from their home in order to ensure that these compulsory requirements are met. Leading many parents and children to simply drop out of school altogether. This is just one, of many cracks that a child can fall through and it is all due to the lack of understanding and applying a holistic approach to community.  

The fact is this--our system of education needs to be disrupted. It needs to see an immediate and drastic reformation so that we can help shape our culture in a way that honors God, family and each other.  As it stands now, our children are treated as numbers in seats and pushed through the system like cattle through a chute. Never having quite learned what they needed, in order to grow. For many, this leads them down paths of destruction. Some are shuffled out of one system, only to be planted in another—the penal system. It is devastating to think that the potential of so many bright young children is squandered by the system in which they are trapped. Never having had a chance, all due to the way our systems are structured.

 

Vision 20-40 aims to revolutionize the way our education system operates. At its core, this project is one of hope, love and service.  It is a re-envisioning of, and a goal toward restructuring the way our cities, towns and communities operate. It is a holistic approach, aimed at sparking change in the way that our most precious and valuable members of our society, our children, are educated and raised.  It is a way for communities to regain their sovereignty and act in the manner that our great nation was designed. With little-to-no government influence, voluntary contributions through donations and sponsors, and community engagement on a very intimate level, Vision 20-40 intends to bring the power back to the people. By doing this, we believe that we can serve our communities and our children at a much higher level. We have faith that by implementing these changes, we can protect and preserve our future.

The Portfolio team at Vision Ministry is convinced that every person has something of value to offer, and that given the right circumstances and opportunities, can and will contribute to the health and well-being of their communities. The most vital piece of this puzzle is service.

With Vision 20-40, everyone in the community has an opportunity to serve. Every person who has a heart for and sees a need to engage in cultural change will be invited to participate in reshaping the way our local societies function.

 

Vision 20-40 takes the traditional learning structure and turns it on its head. Starting in the 7th grade, students will be invited to embark on a journey of learning and self-growth, surrounded by their parents, community leaders and master craftsmen. They will enjoy a four-day school week and there will be no mandatory state testing or compulsory attendance. If a student is succeeding academically, and would like to take his or her additional time to participate in other beneficial skill-set building or humanitarian projects, they will have to power to do so. This will encourage collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. Students will not be forced to waste their time learning things that ultimately, have no benefit to them. Instead, their time will be stewarded under the guidance of their parents, toward helping these young adults find their passions and ultimately lead them down career paths that are suited to their strengths.

  The schools will not be reliant on government funding, in the traditional sense. Members of the community and sponsors will be able to directly fund the education centers by taking self-allocated funds and funneling them directly into the projects and courses that resonate with them. The traditional one building school house will also be adjusted. Churches, businesses and other sites will be utilized as learning grounds for the students. Giving everyone an opportunity to come together and serve the greater good.  As the vision grows, members within the community will also be able to enjoy a four-day work week. The goal is for counties to become extremely localized, with goods, products and services being locally sourced. As the transition evolves, families will have more much-needed time together. It is a radical idea, and will take time, but it is our belief that given the prospect, most people will choose this lifestyle as an alternative to the hustle and stress that they currently live under today.

 

The Core-20 will consist of twenty courses, and will cover the foundational curriculums of Math, Science, English and Constitutional History. Students will be able to explore the Core-20 and complete them, receiving a certification once they’ve achieved the goals that they’ve set forth with their dedicated career counselor.  If a student is struggling in a particular area, they will have access to tutors and mentors. This is yet another opportunity for members of the community to step in and serve, creating a sense of kinship and respect for the individuals involved.

 

The Extra-40 is a super exciting concept and one that we feel sets this approach apart. The Extra-40 will consist of forty courses all aimed at building real world skill sets for the students. For example, if a student finds that they have a keen interest in mechanics, they will have the opportunity to learn from master mechanics in their counties. This will translate to hours of real-world experience and a hands-on approach that is wholly lacking in our schools today. We all know the drill, you set out to get your first job and everyone is asking for experience. As a young adult, you have no experience because you just sat behind a desk for thirteen years--learning algebra. You know you could be great at something, but have no way to access the opportunity because all of the doors are shut tight. It becomes a cycle of rejection and leads to opportunities dwindled.

With the Extra-40 curriculum, students will have the benefit of being mentored by the very best professionals in any given field. The option to explore will nurture the innate curiosity that children have, and foster a sense of independence and maturity. It is indeed the exact opposite of how our current system is structured, and that is exactly how we like it.

The Hub will be a centralized digital platform that each county will be able to access. It is essentially the heart of Vision 20-40. It is where all student courses will be listed, along with volunteer opportunities. Expert mentorship programs, where highly skilled professionals can volunteer their time to teaching the students new workforce skills will be available as well. This being an integral part of the Extra-40 courses. In addition, Churches will be able to log in and offer space for learning, businesses can sign up to participate in activities and any member who is in need of food or clothing will be able to visit and receive help with no red tape or strings attached. The Hub is geared towards cultivating a culture of service, love and integrity.

Something that we at Portfolio are particularly enthusiastic about is the way in which The Hub will be operated. Each county will have the ability to elect a parent/student council who will organize and maintain the operations. It will be a fluid and intuitive process where the individual needs of each community will be deeply considered. There will be no longer be broad resolutions to personal problems. We feel that by localizing and personalizing The Hub to the specific needs of each county and community, many of the issues facing these communities will quickly fade. It is our passion to usher in a groundbreaking way of stewarding our communities and those that live within them.  Giving parents and students time and experience working together, while simultaneously conveying confidence in the abilities of the young people within our communities. Thus, giving young people confidence and knowledge that they too, have a voice.

 

When you look at how our current societies operateunder the current state of big government, ask yourself this: Is it working? Is critical race theory, sexual orientation classes and equity above all, a path that you’d like to continue walking? Are the subject matters being forced upon our youngest and most vulnerable members of society helping them? Will it be worth it in the end?

 

We believe that the answer to each of these questions is a resounding NO. We intend to take back the ability to guide and teach our children in the ways that we see fit. Conservative values and skill-based learning is our ultimate goal and we intend to achieve that goal through this vision.  We are not interested in the influence and burdens that have been forced upon our children and our communities by woke corporations and big brother. With Vision 20-40 we can see a future where parents, leaders and students alike are able to work alongside one another with pride and conservatorship.  Preserving their communities and taking back their culture.

 

At the end of the day, we believe that it is time for the power to be returned to We the People. We intend on helping make that happen.