“For me, as a parent, giving my children the best opportunity they can have is a priority. To have an opportunity to put all these supports around a child, especially if you are not financially able to do so, and having these resources in a tangible way … why not? Its important!”
Patrick McCoy, father of 3 and owner of Stay Groomed Company, a local barber shop and nail salon, has been deeply rooted in the Orlando community as a barber for the past 23 years. Building strong community connections is important to his family and McCoy offers his clients a non-judgmental space to share their challenges and celebrate successes in life. McCoy first learned about CHS and the Community Partnership Schools model as he stood behind the barber chair connecting with Jarvis Wheeler, CHS Vice President of Community Impact Strategies.
What brought you to CHS and OCPS ACE, A Community Partnership School?
It started with my relationship with Jarvis when he was a teacher several years ago at Evans High … we developed a very authentic relationship, I became like a father and a friend, and we had many conversations over the years. When Evans became a Community Partnership School and he took his position with CHS, he shared more details and qualities that come with the model — the many opportunities for kids through partnerships. As a fellow dad, he encouraged me to get involved and join him in the All Pro Dad program at OCPS ACE.
Tell us about your experience joining All Pro Dad — how has this impacted your relationship with your kids?
All Pro Dad is amazing! Jarvis invited our family to join and we haven’t stopped coming! It is so great — we have a reading component that is one of the main areas we focus on. We already read to our kids at home so we really love this extra support. The structure and ways we get to engage with our kids is so impactful … we hosted our first summer event and we went bowling — we had several different dads that participated and I think I had more fun than my kids!
We are looking to build and grow All Pro Dad at OCPS ACE because we see how beneficial it is for fathers to enhance their relationships with their children. And, this doesn’t just benefit their kids — a lot of the information impacts the whole family. This will definitely lead to a lot of success.
How do you feel the Community Partnership Schools model is transforming the community?
For me, being a black male in the community and a business owner, I wish all of our schools had these valuable resources. I remember going on the tour at OCPS ACE and they showed me the garden — that’s what got me! The kindergartners have a huge garden where they are learning all about vegetables and plants – I didn’t have anything like that in kindergarten! It is a staple for the community and an amazing opportunity given to the children and I wish all children had access to these services and supports.
I have a 5 year old daughter and I see how the Community Partnership Schools model is benefitting and positively impacting kids – so now my daughter is enrolled to attend OCPS ACE next school year! I will do everything with my family to bring positivity and perspective to the model, get more businesses to partner with us and bring community partnership schools to more schools!
As a local business owner, why does this matter to you — and why should other businesses join the Community Partnership Schools movement?
There was a young girl in first or second grade that spoke to us when we toured OCPS ACE and the way she articulated herself was so impressive! These kids are brilliant, they just need an opportunity and as an adult, I know what exposure has done for me and for my business. Our business world can put forth financial resources to help as many kids experience this, to put them in an opportunity to grow, succeed, further their education — college or trade — to simply put kids in a position to be successful in life. Together, we can help amplify the voice of the community, Community Partnership Schools, the special partnerships and resources and empower parents to help their children succeed.
Click here to learn more about the Community Partnership Schools movement and join us to empower educational and lifetime success for students today!
