We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Franchesca Thompson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Franchesca below.
Franchesca, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
Thrive 12 is an educational resource company supporting a marginalized population of people in education. We create resources designed to address the specific needs of those who face systemic barriers to education, such as students from low-income backgrounds, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ students, and those with disabilities. Our mission is to empower marginalized students by providing accessible, equitable, and high-quality educational resources and support tailored to their unique needs. At Thrive 12 we have over 100 products that provide customized learning materials, including textbooks, digital resources, and interactive content that reflect diverse cultures, languages, and experiences.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Our vision at Thrive 12 is to create a world where every student, regardless of their background, has the tools and opportunities to succeed academically and personally. Over the last 5 years, I have created resources in multiple formats to accommodate various learning needs of marginalized students. In addition, I am supporting teachers with tips, tools, and resources to help them with strategies to meet the diverse needs of students through my podcast “Everything But The Lesson Plan”. This platform is also designed to support teachers with the day-to-day challenges they face outside of lesson planning, such as classroom management, student engagement, parent communication, and self-care. This has been a big hit in the educational community.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The year was 2019 when I decided to go online to purchase products for my classroom; after spending what felt like hours looking for products, my shopping cart was empty.
One morning, I had a thought to fill my classroom walls and bookracks with posters, words of encouragement, and books that represented my black students. During my shopping experience, I could not find resources for my classroom that were a positive reflection of my students, and I logged off depleted and disappointed.
Positive representation in the classroom through books, posters, and curriculum is an essential step in solving racial biases. Why were my students of color vastly underrepresented or excluded from classroom curricula and resources? Every day, from social media to television ads, children of color are inundated with images that do not look like them. Students should have access to positive images that reinforce and affirm their personal development. Additionally, teachers who want to strengthen inclusiveness in the classroom shouldn’t have to spend hours online to end up with an empty shopping cart. At the bare minimum, when students step off their bus to enter the school building, it should be flooded with positive images that represent them and reinforce self-development. But why should we accept the bare minimum? Examples of Black #girlmagic #boyjoy #power #greatness #smartness #history all over the school walls when they enter the building, would help them get to their next level.
That day in 2019, I chose not to accept another empty shopping cart when looking for classroom materials. Turning my back on this would mean it doesn’t matter or is too big to solve. I was exhausted because I could not find a company to see the beauty and greatness I saw every day in my students. Why are some products so easy to find while others don’t exist? I thought a poster with one of my beautiful and talented black students with the words “FUTURE Engineer” was definitely something that I and maybe other educators would want to see in their classroom.
This sparked an idea for me. I started my company, Thrive 12, and began creating the products I so desperately wanted to use in my classroom and see around my school. I understood that even though my students were underrepresented, they would not stay that way. I had to evoke my #blackteachersrock energy to make a way for my black students to be seen! My company may be small, but my future impact will be BIG!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I was a teacher, I loved going the extra mile for my students. The year COVID-19 came knocking at our doors and schools shifted to remote learning, I quickly realized that the move to virtual classrooms would leave some of my students behind.
Covid- 19 created financial pressures on a lot of families, and buying supplies for school projects was out of the question for most. My heart sank every time I saw my students’ faces on my screen, trying their best to stay engaged, but often without the materials needed to participate fully in the lesson.
I knew that I had to do something to bring the excitement we had in the classroom to this virtual world. I bought everything in bulk: colored paper, glue sticks, markers, and basic kits, for a project I had planned. I carefully packed those items into large envelopes and wrote each student’s name on them and words of encouragement to remind them of how much I believed in them. I shipped the items off, and about a week later everyone had their materials, now class was back in session!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thrive12.com
- Instagram: ithrive_12
- Facebook: Franchesca Thompson
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/franchesca-thompson95/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClQy5Qk3bOPEwf_DvtVe9Aw
- Other: Podcast: https://www.audacy.com/podcast/everything-but-the-lesson-plan-87642/episodes/everything-but-the-lesson-plan-brought-to-you-by-thrive12-ad3fd
