Minneapolis reading program aims to sharpen skills, strengthen community
A community tutor and students at the Sankofa Reading Program.
Courtesy of Terrica Pledger
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Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education sent letters to state leaders that said schools could lose federal funding if they failed to follow the Trump administration’s interpretation of civil rights laws. That includes DEI programs that “advantage one’s race over another.” If schools do not follow this order, the Trump administration says they could lose federal funding.
A Minneapolis organization is working to support Black students and fill gaps it sees in the education system, regardless of whether schools turn away from DEI initiatives. Terrica Pledger is the leader of the Sankofa Reading Program with the Network for the Development of Children of African Descent, also known as NdCad. She joins MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about her work.
Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.
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Audio transcript
NINA MOINI: Earlier this month, the US Department of Education sent letters to state leaders that said schools could lose federal funding if they fail to follow the Trump administration's interpretation of civil rights laws that includes DEI programs that they say advantage one race over another.
If schools don't follow this order, the Trump administration says they could lose federal funding. Here on Minnesota Now, we wanted to highlight a local organization that is working to support Black students and filling gaps they already see in the education system, even before schools were told to turn away from DEI initiatives.
Joining me today is Terrica Pledger, the leader of the Sankofa Reading Program with the Network for the Development of Children of African Descent, also known as NdCAD. Thank you so much for being here with us, Terrica.
TERRICA PLEDGER: Thank you for having me.
NINA MOINI: It's so fun to have you here. A lot of people may not be familiar with Sankofa Reading Program. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
TERRICA PLEDGER: Sankofa is a nine-week reading intervention program that is a three-day a week for 90 minutes.
NINA MOINI: OK. And so what age groups of children are you serving mostly?
TERRICA PLEDGER: Mostly in the original is like K through six. But we have gone into the high school. We do K through eighth grade. So we meet the scholars where they are.
NINA MOINI: And how long have you been doing this work?
TERRICA PLEDGER: I am in my second year.
NINA MOINI: And what are you-- what are you enjoying about it. What schools do you interact with?
TERRICA PLEDGER: We interact with whatever school needs us there. As long as we have what we need, the scholars. What I've noticed and what I enjoy the most is seeing the scholars' light bulbs go off. Where they've been told they can't, they see themselves, and then they start flying and soaring and going without us. They do it on their own.
NINA MOINI: And so I read that your daughter went through the program. Is that how you came to hear of it?
TERRICA PLEDGER: I actually came to hear of it from my best friend, who's also the Parent Power lead. She homeschooled her scholars and was looking for support. And she came across NdCAD and has been telling me since I moved here because I'm a transplant.
And I was very hesitant at first. But I sent my oldest. And she volunteered. And they were just telling me all these great things. And I said, OK, that's nice. I'm busy over here. But it came into the cards where I finally stepped into the space. I had seen them graduate. And I was like, this is exactly everything you said it was. It's a beautiful program.
NINA MOINI: So I'm curious to know, do you consider this program DEI? Or what do you think about the conversations around DEI programming?
TERRICA PLEDGER: I consider our program community, not one or the other. So for us, community was involved from the beginning and will be involved through the entire process.
So for us, we are looking for the community. And the community lets us know what they need. And they let us know that our scholars needed this. And that's what we brought. And so as they continue to tell us what we need, we continue to pour in to them as they pour into us.
NINA MOINI: And do you think that just like that, focus on community, is that something that you want to see in more schools, in more after-school programs? It seems like you're saying we want to ask people what works for them.
TERRICA PLEDGER: Of course, I look at it as the schools have their own community when you're in a classroom. But bringing yourself, bringing your culture allows other cultures to connect.
You connect through many different things. And especially when you can go into a book and you can read that book and you can see that hold on, we each have the same type of style of food, we may call it something different. But we've all had one type of green somewhere along the lines. It may be seasoned a little differently. But we all can connect over something.
NINA MOINI: And where are you all based?
TERRICA PLEDGER: We are based in Minneapolis right now, so 3255 Spring Street Northeast Minneapolis, Suite 100. However, we serve the metro area. We serve in Saint Paul. We serve where we need to be service to.
NINA MOINI: Are you looking for volunteers? Is this something? How can people get involved with something like this?
TERRICA PLEDGER: You can volunteer. You can be a part of our Parent Power course. Once you go through that, you stay connected, show up at our knees. We give free books on Saturday from 12 to 2, so you can always come.
And even if you just want to come and visit and see what it is, that people connect through with coming to the office, we invite the community to come because it's also a community space. So we invite you to come into the space and see what NdCAD is. And you may have a new idea, fresh eyes on what we've been doing. And so having the community continue to be a part of us is what we stay connected and grounded to.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, and I know there's always concern around summertime. Because people could lose, not retain everything they learned. It's a hard time for students and parents. Tell me a little bit about some of the summer programming that is going on.
TERRICA PLEDGER: So we have the summer Sankofa. We do summer camp but not this year. We're doing summer institute. And you can always call in to get more information about that. But during the summer, we still stick with that nine-week, three-day-week course for 90 minutes.
And that helps to prevent that summer loss. Those summer losses don't happen because what they're doing is strengthening those skills, those skills of the comprehension skills, those seven comprehension skills that you need when you're writing your paper.
So for the kids that do have all of the reading skills, they may not comprehend what they're reading. But they're going to get something out of the space. So they're going to be able to, oh, now I understand what I'm reading because now I can make connections to what I'm reading. And so from there, from our smallest reader to our oldest reader, they can be in the same space and get what they need out of it.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, I think that, too. People use the word "community." They use the word "grassroots." These are organizations like yours that have really always been there doing the work. I mean, do you feel like it's extra important right now, just given some of the dialogue around just inclusivity, or do you just feel like this is just the work and we've been doing it and we're just going to keep doing it?
TERRICA PLEDGER: I feel like it's all of it. It's been the work. It's always going to be the work. It's just a resurfacing of that flame of like, I'm in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. Because once you see those scholars that go from "I can't" to "oh, watch me, hey, look at what I can do," you're like, OK, I'm doing something good.
And then when I hear the stories of the graduates, when they hear, oh, you're Sankofa, the excitement in their voices, that's like, OK, I know what that is. They stay connected somewhere along the lines. Even if they thought we were gone, we're not gone. They're finding us again. And they're like, OK, now it's my time to get reconnected. So I think that the community is the biggest thing with our scholars finding those light bulbs.
NINA MOINI: Are there some cases where there's parents and their children that you all have served?
TERRICA PLEDGER: Oh, yeah. Parent Power, that is the key. It's a two-generational-- four-generational approach. It's not just the parent, it's not just the scholar, it's the community. It's the elders. It is the scholars. It is the parents. So we need everyone to be involved. It's the village.
So it's the idea that we need all of us to be full circle. The scholars have something to pour into the elders. The elders definitely have a lot to pour into the scholars. And as long as we're building together, we're doing what we need to do.
NINA MOINI: Just lastly, Terrica, what is your advice? Or if you had some words for parents or students that are struggling and they feel like they don't quite know what they haven't tried or what resources to look for, what would you tell them?
TERRICA PLEDGER: Reach out to the community. Come and see NdCAD. I would tell them, just because-- when it starts to get difficult, when it starts to get hard, that's when it's time to reach out and say, I need help.
Because if we don't have it in-house, we have other partners that we reach for. We stay connected with the community outside of just our organization to make sure that we can meet the needs of our families.
NINA MOINI: That's important. So even if the first door is closed, you all might be able to find other windows or other doors.
TERRICA PLEDGER: Yes. Just pouring into us, just having a conversation like we are right now, we do that with our families. And sometimes that's just enough to get them going for the next moment.
And so with that, we're like, OK, you've poured into me. Now I can pour into the next person. And it just comes that bug that I talk about it, you talk about it. And just keep going.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. Well, thank you very much for stopping by. Really appreciate you.
TERRICA PLEDGER: Thank you.
NINA MOINI: That was Terrica Pledger, the Program Leader of the Sankofa Reading Program. Thank you so much for listening to Minnesota Now, as always. I'm Nina Moini. Tomorrow on the show, we're going to learn about how more people are buying SUVs in the Twin Cities and its impact on traffic. Plus, we're going to get some professional help on finding the right dentist. Tune in tomorrow at noon. Appreciate all of your time. Have a great day.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
If schools don't follow this order, the Trump administration says they could lose federal funding. Here on Minnesota Now, we wanted to highlight a local organization that is working to support Black students and filling gaps they already see in the education system, even before schools were told to turn away from DEI initiatives.
Joining me today is Terrica Pledger, the leader of the Sankofa Reading Program with the Network for the Development of Children of African Descent, also known as NdCAD. Thank you so much for being here with us, Terrica.
TERRICA PLEDGER: Thank you for having me.
NINA MOINI: It's so fun to have you here. A lot of people may not be familiar with Sankofa Reading Program. Can you tell us a little bit about it?
TERRICA PLEDGER: Sankofa is a nine-week reading intervention program that is a three-day a week for 90 minutes.
NINA MOINI: OK. And so what age groups of children are you serving mostly?
TERRICA PLEDGER: Mostly in the original is like K through six. But we have gone into the high school. We do K through eighth grade. So we meet the scholars where they are.
NINA MOINI: And how long have you been doing this work?
TERRICA PLEDGER: I am in my second year.
NINA MOINI: And what are you-- what are you enjoying about it. What schools do you interact with?
TERRICA PLEDGER: We interact with whatever school needs us there. As long as we have what we need, the scholars. What I've noticed and what I enjoy the most is seeing the scholars' light bulbs go off. Where they've been told they can't, they see themselves, and then they start flying and soaring and going without us. They do it on their own.
NINA MOINI: And so I read that your daughter went through the program. Is that how you came to hear of it?
TERRICA PLEDGER: I actually came to hear of it from my best friend, who's also the Parent Power lead. She homeschooled her scholars and was looking for support. And she came across NdCAD and has been telling me since I moved here because I'm a transplant.
And I was very hesitant at first. But I sent my oldest. And she volunteered. And they were just telling me all these great things. And I said, OK, that's nice. I'm busy over here. But it came into the cards where I finally stepped into the space. I had seen them graduate. And I was like, this is exactly everything you said it was. It's a beautiful program.
NINA MOINI: So I'm curious to know, do you consider this program DEI? Or what do you think about the conversations around DEI programming?
TERRICA PLEDGER: I consider our program community, not one or the other. So for us, community was involved from the beginning and will be involved through the entire process.
So for us, we are looking for the community. And the community lets us know what they need. And they let us know that our scholars needed this. And that's what we brought. And so as they continue to tell us what we need, we continue to pour in to them as they pour into us.
NINA MOINI: And do you think that just like that, focus on community, is that something that you want to see in more schools, in more after-school programs? It seems like you're saying we want to ask people what works for them.
TERRICA PLEDGER: Of course, I look at it as the schools have their own community when you're in a classroom. But bringing yourself, bringing your culture allows other cultures to connect.
You connect through many different things. And especially when you can go into a book and you can read that book and you can see that hold on, we each have the same type of style of food, we may call it something different. But we've all had one type of green somewhere along the lines. It may be seasoned a little differently. But we all can connect over something.
NINA MOINI: And where are you all based?
TERRICA PLEDGER: We are based in Minneapolis right now, so 3255 Spring Street Northeast Minneapolis, Suite 100. However, we serve the metro area. We serve in Saint Paul. We serve where we need to be service to.
NINA MOINI: Are you looking for volunteers? Is this something? How can people get involved with something like this?
TERRICA PLEDGER: You can volunteer. You can be a part of our Parent Power course. Once you go through that, you stay connected, show up at our knees. We give free books on Saturday from 12 to 2, so you can always come.
And even if you just want to come and visit and see what it is, that people connect through with coming to the office, we invite the community to come because it's also a community space. So we invite you to come into the space and see what NdCAD is. And you may have a new idea, fresh eyes on what we've been doing. And so having the community continue to be a part of us is what we stay connected and grounded to.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, and I know there's always concern around summertime. Because people could lose, not retain everything they learned. It's a hard time for students and parents. Tell me a little bit about some of the summer programming that is going on.
TERRICA PLEDGER: So we have the summer Sankofa. We do summer camp but not this year. We're doing summer institute. And you can always call in to get more information about that. But during the summer, we still stick with that nine-week, three-day-week course for 90 minutes.
And that helps to prevent that summer loss. Those summer losses don't happen because what they're doing is strengthening those skills, those skills of the comprehension skills, those seven comprehension skills that you need when you're writing your paper.
So for the kids that do have all of the reading skills, they may not comprehend what they're reading. But they're going to get something out of the space. So they're going to be able to, oh, now I understand what I'm reading because now I can make connections to what I'm reading. And so from there, from our smallest reader to our oldest reader, they can be in the same space and get what they need out of it.
NINA MOINI: Yeah, I think that, too. People use the word "community." They use the word "grassroots." These are organizations like yours that have really always been there doing the work. I mean, do you feel like it's extra important right now, just given some of the dialogue around just inclusivity, or do you just feel like this is just the work and we've been doing it and we're just going to keep doing it?
TERRICA PLEDGER: I feel like it's all of it. It's been the work. It's always going to be the work. It's just a resurfacing of that flame of like, I'm in the right place at the right time doing the right thing. Because once you see those scholars that go from "I can't" to "oh, watch me, hey, look at what I can do," you're like, OK, I'm doing something good.
And then when I hear the stories of the graduates, when they hear, oh, you're Sankofa, the excitement in their voices, that's like, OK, I know what that is. They stay connected somewhere along the lines. Even if they thought we were gone, we're not gone. They're finding us again. And they're like, OK, now it's my time to get reconnected. So I think that the community is the biggest thing with our scholars finding those light bulbs.
NINA MOINI: Are there some cases where there's parents and their children that you all have served?
TERRICA PLEDGER: Oh, yeah. Parent Power, that is the key. It's a two-generational-- four-generational approach. It's not just the parent, it's not just the scholar, it's the community. It's the elders. It is the scholars. It is the parents. So we need everyone to be involved. It's the village.
So it's the idea that we need all of us to be full circle. The scholars have something to pour into the elders. The elders definitely have a lot to pour into the scholars. And as long as we're building together, we're doing what we need to do.
NINA MOINI: Just lastly, Terrica, what is your advice? Or if you had some words for parents or students that are struggling and they feel like they don't quite know what they haven't tried or what resources to look for, what would you tell them?
TERRICA PLEDGER: Reach out to the community. Come and see NdCAD. I would tell them, just because-- when it starts to get difficult, when it starts to get hard, that's when it's time to reach out and say, I need help.
Because if we don't have it in-house, we have other partners that we reach for. We stay connected with the community outside of just our organization to make sure that we can meet the needs of our families.
NINA MOINI: That's important. So even if the first door is closed, you all might be able to find other windows or other doors.
TERRICA PLEDGER: Yes. Just pouring into us, just having a conversation like we are right now, we do that with our families. And sometimes that's just enough to get them going for the next moment.
And so with that, we're like, OK, you've poured into me. Now I can pour into the next person. And it just comes that bug that I talk about it, you talk about it. And just keep going.
NINA MOINI: Yeah. Well, thank you very much for stopping by. Really appreciate you.
TERRICA PLEDGER: Thank you.
NINA MOINI: That was Terrica Pledger, the Program Leader of the Sankofa Reading Program. Thank you so much for listening to Minnesota Now, as always. I'm Nina Moini. Tomorrow on the show, we're going to learn about how more people are buying SUVs in the Twin Cities and its impact on traffic. Plus, we're going to get some professional help on finding the right dentist. Tune in tomorrow at noon. Appreciate all of your time. Have a great day.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
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