   
Caroline
Kennedy Addresses Learning Leaders
by
Sarah N. Lynch
When
Sanford Schwartz retired from Revlon about 10 years ago, he
wanted to contribute to his community. Schwartz, of Queens,
decided to volunteer by tutoring first graders at PS 169 in
Bay Terrace, Queens through Learning Leaders (LL), and Schwartz
still enjoys every minute of it. “I like children and I wanted
to help,” Schwartz said. “There are always a group in the class
that has some problems, and giving them attention on a one
to one basis has truly helped them.”
Schwartz
was one of about 2,000 volunteers to attend the opening meeting
of Learning Leaders at the Sheraton Hotel recently. Caroline
Kennedy, CEO of the Office of Strategic Partnerships, delivered
a keynote address encouraging Learning Leader volunteers to
maintain their support for public schools.
“Thank
you for the example you set and the work you are doing,” Kennedy
said to the enthusiastic crowd. “We’ve embarked on many reforms
and initiatives: new curriculum, new organization and making
principals more successful. Education begins in the classroom
with the teacher, and we need an entire city to support that.” Kennedy
added, “When an adult believes in a child, that child can fulfill
his dreams.”
The
meeting kicked off with a message from president Digna Sánchez,
who thanked the volunteers for their hard work and dedication. “I
can’t emphasize enough, or find the best words to describe
how energized I feel about being at the helm of Learning Leaders,
at a time of such hope-filled changes in our public schools,” Sánchez
said in her opening remarks. “Someone asked me how I would
describe the magic of Learning Leaders. It’s not magic. I would
say there is beauty in the commitment made by eleven thousand
six hundred adult, parent and community volunteers.” Among
the prominent attendees applauding the volunteers were Cynthia
Greenleaf Fanton, trustee of Learning Leaders; Iris Weinshall
Schumer, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Transportation
and Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of LL; Allen Gomez,
VP and Corporate Giving Manager, Washington Mutual; Betsy Gotbaum,
Public Advocate; and Randi Weingarten, President of the UFT.
Founded
in 1956, LL is a program that trains volunteers to help tutor
children in all subject areas and grade levels. It provides
services to 175,000 New York City public school students in
a total of 850 schools citywide. The meeting served not only
to thank volunteers for their dedication, but also to praise
corporations for their financial support including Washington
Mutual, who has recently given $1.2 million to education with
a commitment spanning 75-80 years. As well as Merrill Lynch.
In addition, Sánchez announced that this year Learning Leaders
will add learning materials in Cantonese and Mandarin in addition
to the materials in English and Spanish.
Volunteers
who attended the event said they were excited to begin the
new school year. Nigel Grant, a Learning Leaders volunteer
from the Bronx, is studying to become a teacher at CUNY. He
hopes he can make a difference at PS 126 where he works with
children aged 7 though 11. But Grant said that Learning Leaders
does not just benefit children—it also helps the teachers as
well.
“Most
teachers are dealing with 30-40 kids on a daily basis,” he
said. “They need assistance, whether it’s teaching, helping
around the classroom or talking to parents.” But most importantly,
Grant wants to make an impact on children’s lives. “We need
teachers to instill in the kids a sense of pride—a sense of
belonging, the need to be loved and appreciated,” he said. “The
world is a big place and they have a lot of choices, but they
can be anything—anything they want to be.”#
Sarah
N. Lynch is a senior at Barnard College and an intern at Education
Update.
Education
Update, Inc., P.O. Box 1588, New York, NY 10159.
Tel: (212) 477-5600. Fax: (212) 477-5893. Email: ednews1@aol.com.
All material is copyrighted and may not be printed without express consent of
the publisher. © 2003.
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