What I Did Over My Summer Vacation... by Jamilah Ryan ‘95 Jamilah Ryan, a Steppingstone Scholar from the Class of 1995 and now a teacher in New York, describes her experience teaching during Steppingstone’s six-week summer session. Week One: The Beginning Steppingstone has undergone many changes since I completed the 14-month program in 1995. There were 40 sixth-graders in my class, seeking placement in seventh grade. Now, over 150 Scholars are admitted each year, applying to schools at three different grades. Nonetheless, many things have remained the same. Community building remains a vital part of each Scholar’s education. I see Scholars now develop the same relationships that I was able to establish with my teachers at Steppingstone. Now I am one of those teachers. This is my second summer teaching English for The Steppingstone Academy. From the moment I step into their classrooms on the first day of class, the Scholars have their binders open on their desks, smiles on their faces, and are ready to begin. Week Two: The Writer Within Three o’clock, and an unrelenting heat fills each corner of the study hall classroom. The Scholars busy themselves with the homework for the day, settling down to the rustle of novel and dictionary pages. Study hall is when you get your questions answered, I remind them. They have access to most of their academic teachers, their advisor, and most important, each other. As the Scholars work (continued) (cont’d) on their homework, I correct their written assignments. For as long as I can remember, I loved to write. In a classroom of News of Note diverse learners and thinkers, teaching writing skills can be a daunting task. The assignment I am correcting is a journal entry written from the NPEA Conference perspective of one of the main characters in the novel that we have been reading, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. I read one entry written On Thursday, April 30 and by a Scholar who has always been outstanding academically. Friday, May 1, 2009, the “You have a gift for writing,” I tell her. “I hope that you embrace National Partnership for your talent and pursue it at your new school.” I say this with the McLane Fund Educational Access (NPEA) greatest confidence because I know that her placement school, The Established to Honor will hold its first annual Winsor School, will provide her with the nurturing and intellectual Long-Time Donor conference, called “Collaborating environment that she will need in order to develop as a writer. for Success: Promoting This summer, the Managing Educational Access” at the Directors of TA Associates Week Three: Debate, Debate Charles Hotel in Cambridge. Founded in 1990, The established The McLane Fund, Steppingstone Foundation As I approach the end of the third week, I stop to in honor of their colleague The conference will feature consider how quickly the days go by as the Scholars Andy McLane who is retiring workshops, seminars, and is a non-profit organization attempt to absorb all the information that they possibly after a 30-year career. The guest speakers focusing on that develops and implements can before finals. This week, we have covered drawing McLane Fund has given management, student services, programs which prepare historical conclusions and writing a thesis supported Steppingstone $1 million, and and research, policy and urban schoolchildren for by evidence. I am most proud of their performance has also given $750,000 each evaluation. In attendance will educational opportunities in this week’s debate on the topic, “Did life for to St. Paul’s School and Phillips be NPEA members, school and that lead to college. Based African-Americans change drastically after the Civil Exeter Academy. non-school based programs, on the premise that, regardless War?” They have just completed fifth grade, yet they independent schools, higher of circumstance, children can are handling a controversial topic with the eloquence “Steppingstone is so fortunate education institutions, and achieve at high levels and intellect of high-schoolers. to receive such a unique gift,” other education nonprofits. We end the week with the Bill of Rights, closely examining said Steppingstone Founder academically if given the its application in our class novel. How are certain rights Michael Danziger. “The NPEA is an initiative of proper preparation and exercised in the novel and when and where are these rights resources from The McLane The Steppingstone Foundation support, Steppingstone abused? The Scholars are excited as they peruse the chapters Fund will be used, through and is supported by The programs emphasize rigorous and compare notes and examples. They are eager for their Steppingstone, to prepare Goldman Sachs Foundation, standards and achieve next debate, and I know that they are more than prepared. under-represented students to the J. C. Kellogg Foundation, meaningful results. gain admission to schools that and The Esther A. & Joseph lead to college and to support Klingenstein Foundation. Weeks Four & Five: Change the World Steppingstone programs them through high school The purpose of NPEA is to On Sunday, I reviewed the lesson plan for the week: graduation. In addition, St. collaborate, build connections, include: The Steppingstone discussing two civil rights articles while reviewing effective Academy, Boston, Steppingstone “I see Scholars develop the Paul’s and Exeter will be able and share emerging practices active reading of non-fiction text, and researching and making pre- Scholars, Inc., Philadelphia, same relationships that I was to use McLane Fund resources that will assist member programs sentations on prominent civil rights activists. I caught sight of a to offer additional financial aid in achieving the goal of The Steppingstone Academy, able to establish with my video called that I had watched as a student at A Time for Justice to students from backgrounds educational access for under- Hartford, and National teachers at Steppingstone. Milton Academy. The documentary chronicles highlights of the civil similar to Steppingstone represented students. Partnership for Educational Now I am one of those rights movement with live footage and interviews from participants. I Scholars.” Access. For more information teachers.” -- Jamilah Ryan knew that these powerful visuals would help the Scholars truly For more information, please about Steppingstone, understand this important struggle. Together, these gifts totaling contact [email protected] I showed the film to the Scholars, followed by discussion. When $2.5 million will help expand or visit our web site at please contact us at some of the Scholars began to cry, I knew that the film had touched Steppingstone’s efforts to add www.educational-access.org. 155 Federal St, Suite 800, them in the same way it had me. I urged them to use the emotions boarding schools to the pool Boston MA 02110 that they felt inside to make positive decisions and changes in of public exam and independ- (617) 423-6300 their own lives and the lives of others. I left their classroom with ent schools currently attended www.tsf.org. complete confidence that these young children, who responded so by Steppingstone Scholars. powerfully to the film and demonstrated a profound sense of empathy and compassion, would no doubt go on to make many meaningful decisions. Week Six: New Beginnings On Saturday, the Scholars are recognized for 14 months of hard work at the commencement ceremony. The girls dazzle in their white dresses while the boys are attired in suits and ties. As I sit amongst my fellow faculty members, I watch the Scholars awaiting their diplomas. Perhaps they are not fully aware of how much they’ve accomplished in their 14-month journey, as their focus S S W W shifts to new schools in the fall. Nonetheless, I can identify how E E N N much each one of them has grown from the time I stepped into 8 8 their sections last summer to this moment. My experience with 0 0 0 0 them has been one of change, growth, transition, and the realization 2 2 R R that I, too, must continue to pursue excellence and fulfill my own E E B B dreams. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to know that I was O O T T a part of it all. Steppingstone Commencement C C O O 123 Scholars in the Class of 2008 celebrated their commencement from 2 the 14-month component in August. 3 Belmont Hill student Nnaemeka Ekwelum Stepping Out ‘02 was awarded a Certificate of Accomplishment from the Princeton Prize in Race Relations. The prize is Golf Classic given to recognize, support, and encourage young people who have On Monday, June 9, the sixth annual Steppingstone Scholars who completed the demonstrated a commitment to advancing 14-month academic component Nnaemeka Ekwelum ‘02 the cause of relations among the races. Golf Classic took place at the beautiful Concord Country Club. Thank you to everyone who braved the heat and in 2002 were admitted to Boston Latin Academy’s Anthony Mathieu ‘02 and Jasmine Watts the following colleges and ‘02 were awarded POSSE Scholarships to Centre College and joined our co-chairs James Wolfsberg and Michael Pehl universities in the spring:: Hamilton College, to help raise over $150,000 for Steppingstone. A big respectively. Barnard College thank you to all the players, sponsors, and donors who Berklee School of Music Myriam Kuusipalo ‘02, made this another successful year. Boston College (2) Felix Liang ‘06, and Boston University (3) Adrianna Ureña ‘05 Bowdoin College of Noble & Greenough Bridgewater State College received the following Bryant University awards: Myriam won Centre College the Scudder Medal Claremont McKenna College in the Arts which Clark University recognizes a senior College of the Holy Cross (2) whose work displays College of Wooster artistic excellence and Columbia University who has exhibited Dartmouth College unwavering commit- George Washington ment to artistic study The following Scholars worked as Steppingstone teaching assistants during the summer: University (2) (left to right) Nafis Ahmed ‘02, Roxbury Latin School; Laura Mejia-Suarez ‘04, at Nobles.