Meet Charlisa Crawford

At Operation Shoestring, we’re committed to nurturing, educating, and affirming the whole child. That’s why we were so excited for Charlisa Crawford to join our Project Rise team this year! A recent Spelman College graduate, Crawford majored in psychology. Eventually, she wants to become a clinical psychologist and start her own nonprofit organization focused on children’s mental health one day. One of her inspirations for this idea is Operation Shoestring.

A Jackson native, Crawford was drawn to work at Operation Shoestring because of her passion for helping kids.

“I really love being around kids. I enjoy helping them with their homework, providing them with emotional support, and coming up with hands-on activities that reinforce what they’re learning at school,” says Crawford.

She especially enjoys introducing new ideas and concepts to her third and fourth grade students and being able to explore different topics in more detail than a classroom teacher is often able to do in a day. For example, Crawford recently taught her students about different states of matter and energy by making homemade ice cream with them. This week, she even illustrated heat transference by making s’mores with her students! 

However, STEM skills aren’t the only thing Crawford prioritizes in her classroom.

“I try to support their social skills,” she explained. “That also, of course, involves behavioral intervention and supporting them as they learn to express their emotions too. It’s all about creating a fun and supportive environment where kids can continue learning outside of school.”

Crawford says that she checks in with all of her students and tries to find out how each of their days went prior to the academic portion of the afterschool day beginning. That way, she’s able to empower her students to be present and positive. 

“One of my favorite things is when a student thinks an activity or assignment is ‘too hard’ for them, and I’m able to push and help them realize they are capable of doing it. It’s really rewarding to hear them say they were able to complete it.” Crawford thinks that this, and seeing “students begin to retain information you’ve taught them,” are some of the best parts of her job. 

Despite only working here for a few months, Crawford has become an integral part of our afterschool community.

“I think everyone needs to know that Operation Shoestring is a great place for kids to be. I feel that this organization is really involved with and supportive of their community. They really bring the parents into the realm of afterschool programming, and I love all of the parent programs. I recently had the chance to be part of the parent fitness classes, and I really enjoyed that,” says Crawford.

She also loves that “it’s not just about the kids here. Parents are important too. Operation Shoestring ensures that not only are kids okay here, but their whole family is okay at home.”  To Crawford, that’s “pretty cool” and a model for her to one day incorporate into her own nonprofit planning. 

For more information on how you can support dedicated teachers like Charlisa Crawford, you can go to operationshoestring.org/support.