Summer Slide Summer Learning Loss Has Made Headlines Recently and Has Been a Hot Topic in Education Circles for the Past Several Years (See Sidebar on Page 2)
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Fighting the SUMMER SLIDE Summer learning loss has made headlines recently and has been a hot topic in education circles for the past several years (see sidebar on page 2). According to Ron Fairchild, CEO of the National Summer Learning Association and keynote speaker at the 2009 Steppingstone Gala, “There is an idyllic view of summer, but we’ve known for decades that the reality is very different for a lot of underprivileged kids.” (“The Case Against Summer Vacation,” Time, July 22, 2010.) Scholars who complete Steppingstone’s academic preparation component often find themselves ahead of their peers in September, after participating in the Academy’s academically rigorous summer session. But as Scholars get older, they, too, face the daunting challenge of retaining all that they have learned in Photos by Bill Miles Photography. the prior academic year. (continued) ® Each spring, Steppingstone advisors contact Scholars to encourage them to sign up for activities over the News of Note summer, providing a list of different program options Steppingstone Scholars were What’s New at NPEA admitted to the following four- and making recommendations. Several years ago, a year colleges and universities fund was set up to help Scholars pay for summer The National Partnership for Also new for the fall: college for the fall of 2010: According to the National opportunities that do not offer adequate financial aid. Educational Access (NPEA) will tours! NPEA will organize college host a series of meetings over the tours in the Boston area for stu- Bates College Summer Learning Association This past summer, in response to requests from parents (summerlearning.org), course of the next year for Boston- dents of member programs. Joint Bentley University to help Scholars stay academically engaged over the area college access programs. college tours will allow programs Boston College F Two-thirds of the ninth summer, Steppingstone launched a new summer learning The goal of these meetings to ease the burden of planning Boston University grade achievement gap can is to encourage networking and and expense while providing Brandeis College be explained by unequal program, open to all Scholars in grades six to 12 who facilitate collaboration between students from different programs Bridgewater State University access to summer learning have completed the academic component. The program’s programs working toward similar with the opportunity to meet each Brown University opportunities during the inaugural summer included weekly drop-in study and missions. Specifically, NPEA seeks other. NPEA will hold two college Colgate University Dartmouth College elementary school years. summer reading sessions, a book club, and a series of to provide a forum to determine tours for Boston members before how to effectively transition the end of the academic year. Emmanuel College F Most students lose about college application workshops. The program concluded students between programs at Please check the NPEA website: George Washington University two months of grade level in August with a three-day tour of colleges natural break points (such as from www.educational-access.org later Georgetown University equivalency in mathematical in Pennsylvania, with over 25 Scholars participating. school year to summer or from this fall for more information on Lehigh University computation skills over the middle to high school) in order to Boston-area college tours. Lesley University summer months. Lower-income The Scholars’ enthusiasm for the workshops was strengthen the college pipeline. Massachusetts College of students also lose more evident to all. “I came away from the essay workshop The first meeting will be held Become a fan on Facebook: Art & Design than two months in reading energized by the group, both by the sophistication on September 28 at the ACCESS bit.ly/NPEAfbook or join us at Massachusetts Institute achievement, despite the fact Boston office and is open to NPEA LinkedIn: bit.ly/NPEAlinkedin. of Technology that their middle-income peers of their insights about writing and the quality of their members and non-members. For Mt. Ida College make slight gains. attention,” shared Jessie Royce Hill, Senior Assistant more information, please contact Northeastern University Karin Elliott, Executive Director, at Northwestern University F Director of Admissions at Yale, after facilitating a college More than half of the [email protected]. Pace University achievement gap between essay session. “I found the students engaged and Quinnipiac University lower- and higher-income responsive–not always the case with a group of teenagers SAVE THE DATE: please join us for Rochester Institute of Technology youth can be explained by at the end of a summer workday!” St. John’s University unequal access to summer the third annual NPEA conference on State University of New York Xiomara Manning, a senior at Buckingham Browne learning opportunities. As a April 28-29, 2011 in Atlanta. at Stony Brook result, lower-income youth are & Nichols, came to a drop-in study session so she could Stonehill College less likely to graduate from Suffolk University focus and be productive. “At home, I have the TV, com- Photo by Stephanie Ronan. high school or enter college. Tufts University puter, and lots of siblings to distract me.” After doing University of Massachusetts some summer reading and starting her college Common Amherst Application, Xio returned to the weekly drop-in sessions Boston and signed up for the three-day Steppingstone college Dartmouth Lowell tour in Pennsylvania. “My mom has a lot of children to University of Tampa take care of,” said Xio, “and this way I can visit colleges University of Toronto without her having to worry about it.” Worcester Polytechnic Institute Wagner College Wellesley College Wentworth Institute of Technology Wesleyan University Wheaton College Wheelock College Williams College Two-year institutions: Steppingstone Founder Michael Danziger and Marissa Lowman of NPEA proudly accept the award from Barry Ward, Vice President for Enrollment Management at Pine Manor College. Bay State College Benjamin Franklin Institute Congratulations, Steppingstone and NPEA! of Technology Le Cordon Bleu NEWS NEWS Pine Manor College annually recognizes leaders from nonprofits and Newbury College schools that help make college access and success possible for under- served students. On May 13, 2010, The Steppingstone Academy and Steppingstone’s initiative, the National Partnership for Educational Ac- FALL 2010 FALL Kate Ramsdell, college counselor at Noble & Greenough School, shares tips with Scholars cess, were both recipients of the Champion of Access/Success Award. 2010 FALL 2 in her “Making the Best of a College Visit” summer workshop. 3 Photo by Bill Miles Photography. Darian Reid-Sturgis ’99 taught Latin to Scholars at The Steppingstone Academy this past summer. In September, he joined the faculty of The Rox- bury Latin School from which he graduated in 2005. We sat down with him over the summer between classes to discuss his experience. A CLASSICS SCHOLAR cOMES FULL CIRCLE ell us about teaching at The Steppingstone Academy. It’s been pretty I received the JB Sewall Latin Prize as a sophomore and then, Tchallenging, but in a good way. The Scholars in my class are as a senior, I was awarded the Hannibal Hamlin Emery Latin so excited about learning, and I think I’m doing a pretty good job Prize for Latin-related studies. One summer during college, at channeling that energy into a productive learning environment. I interned at The Steppingstone Academy and loved it. The They are picking up the material, and they come to class pre- positive experience I had as an intern teacher led me to apply for pared and ready to work. the faculty member position that I ultimately landed this summer at Steppingstone. You were once in their shoes. Have you offered them any insight about being a Steppingstone Scholar? I tell them I’ve been there, and I know What have you been doing since graduating from Bowdoin? I was hired first-hand how demanding the Academy is. Attending school in the as a Latin teacher at Kimball Union Academy, an independent summer is tough, but I challenge the Scholars and set high expec- high school in New Hampshire. In addition to teaching, I coached tations for them, as had been done for me. I know from my own Varsity football and Junior Varsity and Varsity basketball. I really experience the eventual reward for all of their efforts. I’m stand- enjoyed it, but when the opportunity arose to teach at my alma ing before them as a result of having gone through the program, mater, Roxbury Latin, I couldn’t refuse. I’m looking forward to and they see that. I think it helps them realize, too, that they may teaching there this fall. one day be in my shoes, as a teacher. That’s great. What courses will you be teaching? I will be teaching Latin What’s your favorite thing about teaching? I love those days when and Greek to seventh, ninth, and tenth graders. It should be fun! the student you don’t expect to have the answer all of a sudden does. It’s as if something clicks in his or her mind. All the lessons, Any thoughts you’d like to wrap up with? I’m having an amazing experi- one-on-one time, and explanations have finally come together. ence teaching at The Steppingstone Academy. The Scholars want As a teacher, those moments are so rewarding. to be here and they want to learn. And there’s a great sense of NEWS camaraderie amongst faculty and Steppingstone staff, so I’m NEWS Tell us about your journey to this point. After receiving my Steppingstone really pleased with how things are going. Looking ahead, I plan diploma in 1999, I graduated from Roxbury Latin in 2005, and on keeping in touch with Steppingstone and filling you all in on then graduated from Bowdoin College in 2009 with a B.A.