Vision 2020 In Review
All of us have experienced profound changes in the last few months. No one is more susceptible to this change than our children. In-school teaching abruptly concluded early and opportunities for summer enrichment became scarce. Learning for the most vulnerable among us is a challenge during the best of times. During the pandemic, the education of our children becomes even more difficult.
According to The New York Times, “research suggests that by September, most students will have fallen behind where they would have been if they had stayed in classrooms, with some losing the equivalent of a full school year’s worth of academic gains. Racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps will most likely widen because of disparities in access to computers, home internet connections and direct instruction from teachers.” The children that we serve at Emmaus House suffer the consequences of these disparities everyday. That’s why our work, in partnership with our local schools, is so vital.
Pivoting in the Pandemic
Sadly, we had to cancel our annual summer Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools® program. So, we went virtual. I am grateful to our Director of Education, Ann Fowler, who had the vision and skills to create an innovative program to keep the learning moving forward for many of the children that we serve. I am also grateful to you, our supporters, who make this kind of creativity possible through your commitment and generous contributions.
For six weeks, we conducted a virtual reading program. This program, called Vision 2020, engaged 40 rising second and third-grade students from the Barack and Michelle Obama Academy. It was a tremendous success! The scholars read a total of 901 books, logged more than 10,700 minutes of reading, completed weekly art projects, learned motivational songs, and worked on daily lessons with their tutors.
Members of The Cathedral of St. Philip and The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany and countless others donated books to the program through gift cards at the Cathedral Book Store, Brave and Kind Books, and Little Shop of Stories. Because of these donations, we were able to give children more physical books of their choice to build home libraries and encourage a love of reading. It was heartwarming to see how excited the scholars were to receive books every Friday with their favorite characters and topics of interest to them. Each week, members of St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church and School supplied groceries to the families of students in the program, which was much appreciated.
Words from our Neighbors
Ayana Cottman is a Peoplestown resident and a member of the Emmaus House Advisory Board. Her daughter Maia took part in Vision 2020. Here is what Ayana had to say:
“Thanks for everything this summer! Maia has definitely grown and blossomed. She has even more confidence in reading, and I know it’s due to this program. Seeing her finish those Helen Ruffin books and challenge herself to accomplish those goals has been amazing. Thank you again!"
On Facebook, Ayana wrote:
“So proud to be a part of the Barack and Michelle Obama Academy and Emmaus House community. Serving on the Emmaus House board, I hear about the wonderful programming, but this year I was able to experience it first-hand!! Maia had a great six-week virtual summer reading experience where she read 24 chapter books!! She is now even more motivated to read and participate in her school’s Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl! Thanks to the amazing Emmaus House staff, Greg Cole and Ann Fowler, as well as Principal Robin Christian (principal at the Barack and Michelle Obama Academy)."
Peoplestown resident and parent Alicia DeCriscio wrote:
"The virtual summer reading program has been so good for our family. The structure and one-on-one sessions have been so helpful in keeping Samuel’s skills fresh and ready for second grade. We’ve also enjoyed the art supplies and treats which the whole family could enjoy. This pandemic has been hard on us all; thank you, Emmaus House, for bringing light into the community."
We are creating fall programming that will help to close the gap for children for whom out-of-classroom learning is a challenge. With your support, we can continue to change the odds for the children that we serve in Peoplestown and beyond.
Greg Cole
Executive Director
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