Honors 214

I interviewed with the Baltimore Algebra Project (BAP), a group dedicated to improving education in Baltimore City. BAP is a student-run organization that focuses primarily on tutoring middle and high school students in math. However, this group does more than just tutor, they also advocate for improvements in education in Baltimore. For example, in February 2008 they participated in a protest in Annapolis at which they claimed that Baltimore’s public school system was chronically underfunded and demanded that the situation be rectified. Therefore, the organization has two branches; the tutoring group which seeks to improve math literacy through peer-to-peer interaction, and the advocacy group which seeks to bring attention to deficiencies in the education system and resolve the problems politically.

The person I interviewed was Mahogany Bosworth, the organization’s office manager. We met at the organization’s headquarters, which was located on N. Charles Street in northern Baltimore. Mahogany is a student involved in the organization and she described the organization’s goals and programs. Currently, BAP has partnerships with several Baltimore schools including Stadium School, Lake Clifton, and Maryland Academy of Technology and Health Sciences (MATHS). Tutors work with students from 6^th to 12^th grade and would be involved in tutoring two days a week for an hour to an hour and a half at a time. Tutors would work with a group of students that would change week-to-week at Lake Clifton and MATHS, but would be the same group of students at Stadium School. Therefore, tutors at Stadium School would develop a long-term mentoring relationship with the students.

I believe that working on improving the education received by students in Baltimore City is an extremely worthy cause. Baltimore’s public education system is clearly failing its students, as in 2003-2004 the city’s graduation rate was just 34.6%, 47^th out of the 50 largest cities in America. The Baltimore Algebra Project believes that education is paramount in a child’s life. In fact, their motto is “No Education, No Life” because they feel that without education, children in Baltimore can’t find adequate employment, join gangs, and are sent to prison or die as a result of criminal activities. This hits close to home for BAP as one of their members was killed during a robbery last year, and they see the murders that occur in their community every day. BAP is also in an excellent position to advocate for changes in the education system because they live it every day and know where changes need to be made. Recently, they advocated for a change in how student MTA bus tickets work in Baltimore City. Previously, the tickets were accepted until 6:30 pm, but BAP felt that this discouraged students from participating in some school activities that ran later. So, they along with other student groups and Baltimore County Public Schools convinced MTA to extend the time tickets would be accepted until 8 pm. This is yet another creative way that BA has helped better education and the lives of students in Baltimore City. Now students can stay at school longer participating in after-school tutoring, extra help from teachers, and recreational activities that will make them better students and keep them off the streets where they could become involved with bad groups.

In addition to helping students through tutoring and advocacy, BAP aims to help the tutors in their program. BAP feels that the tutors themselves gain valuable skills by participating in the program. They are put in a leadership position, which develops skills for later in life when they must be in charge of a group of people. They increase their own math skills by helping to teach others, which some believe is the best way to learn (Learning Pyramid). The tutors also get experience in a “real-job” type situation. They have to be at the school at a certain time every week and must be ready for the lesson. Therefore, they learn the responsibility that comes with obtaining and maintaining a job in the real world.

BAP was interested in having students from Stevenson University participate in both the tutoring and advocacy branches of the organization. Our students who help to tutor would gain the previously mentioned skills, but they would also help to make a difference in the lives of many students in Baltimore. The tutors would help the students gain valuable math skills, but they would also develop long-term mentoring relationships with them. They can become a role model in the students’ lives and guide them towards what they have to do to get into college or obtain a valuable career. The students who participate in the advocacy group will be able to create social change directly. They target problems within the social institution of education and then seek to change those problems to improve the lives of the youth of our community.

The students involved in BAP saw that their education system was failing and decided to do something about it. They recognized a connection between a lack of education and engagement in criminal activity and decided that something had to change to improve the Baltimore community. They began by tutoring their peers in math; a subject that they felt was critical in obtaining a successful career and lifting yourself out of poverty. It shows passion and dedication that the students didn’t look to others for help; they took up the responsibility themselves to tutor their peers and make sure that everyone got the extra help they needed. However, they soon recognized that tutoring alone was not enough and began to advocate for changes to the very structure of their education system. They have argued for increased times on MTA tickets and increased funding for their schools. They have used creative methods like hunger strikes and a protest in which the Capitol was transformed into a “crime scene” to bring media attention to their cause and spur change. BAP’s advocacy methods may seem extreme, but as a result they have forced the community to pay attention to them and have achieved their goals in several circumstances.  If students from Stevenson can add their knowledge, creativity, and perspective to BAP’s tutoring and advocacy efforts, then Baltimore City’s education system will be one step closer to achieving the goal of an adequate education for all its students. The Baltimore Algebra Project’s actions have already helped to improve the Baltimore community and as more students stand up and take responsibility for their education and demand better, then change will continue to occur.

What?

I interviewed Brooke McEntyre, a graduate student intern, and Suzanne Gilbert, an employee, from the Health Care for All! Coalition. The Health Care for All! Coalition was organized by the Maryland Citizen’s Health Initiative Education Fund (MCHI), which is a non-profit program that educates Marylanders about how to achieve quality, affordable health care for all. This coalition uses input from coalition members and Maryland citizens to create a health care for all plan. The first plan, which would guarantee health care for all Marylanders, was created in 2002 after the MCHI conducted a statewide health care education campaign. A newly revised plan was released in the spring of 2008. The main points of the plan include providing all Marylanders with quality, affordable health care, treating all insured taxpayers and employers who help pay for their employees health coverage fairly, lowering monthly health care bills, pooling resources to get access to a wider selection of health care options, preventing companies from denying coverage, and building on private sector coverage.

Volunteers and interns can get involved in outreach and organizing activities, such as going door-to-door informing people about health care, going to town hall meetings, creating flyers, writing letters to government officials, helping with paperwork, and much more. The staff is also very open to ideas from the volunteers. If you can think of a project you think will help the organization’s cause, they are very willing to hear your idea.

So What?

45 million American citizens are currently without health insurance and 800,000 of those citizens are Marylanders. It is commonly believed that those without health insurance are lazy and do not have jobs. However, about 90 percent of the 800,000 uninsured either work or live in the household of a worker. Healthcare is either not offered at their work or too expensive. With so many people uninsured, health coverage is obviously a social problem. The Health Care for All! Coalition is trying to bring awareness to this issue. Without awareness, nothing can get done. For example, McEntyre and Gilbert mentioned a bill that was recently passed that made health care available for 100,000 Marylanders without health insurance. I hadn’t heard of this bill and many of the people who could now get health insurance with this bill probably haven’t heard of it either. With awareness of this bill, people can get the health care they are now eligible for. The coalition has also created its own plan to bring health care to all Marylanders and constantly contacts government officials to get this issue resolved. Volunteers can help the coalition in the important task of bringing about awareness and advocating change to our government officials.

Now What?

I highly recommend volunteering for this coalition. I met a lot of the staff and they are all very friendly and appreciative of any help. As mentioned earlier, they are very open to ideas from the volunteers. For instance, one person involved with the organization came up the idea to make a book of stories of uninsured Marylanders, they let her do it, and it is now published. The building is only 20 minutes from the Greenspring campus and it is located in a nice neighborhood. Most importantly, health care for all is a serious issue that must be resolved as soon as possible. If you do not have your health, what do you have? Everyone should have the right to good health. Most of the people suffering have jobs but either are not offered health care or cannot afford it. In order to volunteer, all one has to do is contact Rosanna Miles by e-mail (rosanna@healthcareforall.com) or phone, (410) 235-9000.

International Rescue Committee

What?

On Thursday, April 2, 2009 I interview Jessica Li at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) on Eastern Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. Jessica Li is the Community Outreach Coordinator at the IRC. To prepare for this event, I met with Kayla Tufares, VISTA Coordinator and Experiential Learning & Career Services employee at Stevenson University. With Ms. Tufares’ guidance, I developed questions to ask Ms. Li.  During our meeting, Ms. Tufares agreed to pick me up at 7:45am outside of Rockland on the Owings Mills campus of Stevenson University. While waiting outside for Ms. Tufares on April 2, I was rather calm, until I noticed the time passing by.  Ms. Tufares arrived at 8:10am (due to traffic), but then we were on our way.

During the drive to 3516 Eastern Avenue, I became more and more anxious. Due to the fact that we left the Owings Mills campus latter than planned and the morning traffic found on Highway 95 at this time of day, Ms. Tufares and I were approaching our interview time at a rapid pace. Once it was apparent that we would not arrive by 8:30am (the schedule meeting time), I had to call Ms. Li. This was the first time that I had spoken to Ms. Li, since prior to this occasion, we had only communicated through email. Ms. Li was extremely soft spoken and sounded understanding.  She did not seem upset about Ms. Tufares and I being delayed. Being a person who hates to be late, I was still nervous and even more restless now that we defiantly were not going to be on time.

The location was larger than I expected and the street sign for the IRC was much more predominate than I anticipated. This made finding the office very easy. The sign was large, green, and ran the whole width of the office. Even though our meeting was scheduled prior to the opening hours of the office, there were still people inside. This surprised me. I thought that we would be in an empty building, with just Ms. Li. Instead, there were employees and clients in almost every chair. After speaking with a secretary, Ms. Tufares and I sat in the waiting area.

While waiting, I observed the refugees. Some refugees were busy using public phones and computers, while others were waiting patiently and quietly in seats. There were people of all different ages and races. Some were dressed in religious clothing while others worn plain jeans and t-shirts. When people walked in from the street, they were greeted by almost everyone in the waiting area. It seemed as though all of the refugees had formed one large family, even though they were from different parts of the world. I was not nervous or scared by the refugees. They all looked very friendly and nice. I felt very comfortable waiting.

 Ms. Li was a very short, small lady. She had a nice smile and was very welcoming. She did not seem upset by Ms. Tufares and I being late. We went into a conference room with large windows. It was rather cold inside. I did not need to ask many of my questions, because Ms. Li answered the majority of them during her introduction to the IRC. This threw me off a bit, since I had been prepared to ask my questions. Ms. Li gave Ms. Tufares and me folders full of information on the organization and how the IRC works with volunteers. It seemed as though Ms. Li and Ms. Tufares both felt that the IRC and Stevenson’s Service Learning would work well together. Ms. Tufares even provided Ms. Li with her business card to continue communicating in the future. Our interview only lasted about a half an hour, but all of my questions and Ms. Tufares’ questions were answered.  I actually received more information than expected.

So What?

This interview was very important to me. It was important for me to get a sense of what the IRC Baltimore felt like and to interact with some of the employees. I wanted to be able to express to other students what the atmosphere of the IRC is and what to expect if they apply to do Service Learning with this organization. I wanted to be able to convey the IRC’s mission and purpose through Stevenson University’s new Service Learning website. I also think that it was important for Ms. Tufares to see the office space and get a feel of what the organization is about. I am sure she would not want to send students to an unsafe, unorganized, or illegitimate organization.

I also learned a lot from this experience. I learned that I get anxious before new experiences. I learned that I like to be in control of situations. The fact that I was not driving, so I did not have control over the time we arrived at the location, bothered me greatly. I also learned that even though there are awful things happening in the world, many caused by people, there are still people with kind hearts who try to make the world better. The IRC is full of volunteers and survives based on the generosity of the community and the acceptance of others. If companies did not give refugees a chance to work, or peers did not accept new students, refugees would be miserable and probably would not survive in America.

Due to the information Ms. Li provided to Ms. Tufares and myself, I learned a lot about refugees and the IRC specifically. I also learned a lot from talking with Ms. Li.  What I found special about the IRC is that they do not just place refugees; they help refugees strive in their new environments. By providing refugees with English tutors, resume help, and family mentors, refugees have more of a chance of being successful in their new country and hopefully eventually feeling at home here. The IRC Baltimore works with refugees for about six months, helping them adjust to their new environments and becoming accustomed to the American way of life.

Now What?

I will take the information that I learned to help develop the new Service Learning website. I will use the skills and knowledge that I have gained to help draw other students to the opportunities Service Learning can provide. My goal is to help students see how they can improve their community, help others, and learn through the Service Learning process. I especially hope to get students interested in working with the IRC Baltimore, ideally through Service Learning, but also through fund-raising events and internship possibilities.

My fellow Honors-214: Social Change by Design students and I formed an attractive, modern, intriguing website to draw our peers to the Service Learning possibilities at Stevenson University. We also tried to attract professors and organizations to Service Learning, in order to further help the program grow. We hope to educate many people about the great opportunities Service Learning has to offer, the social responsibility we all face, and the ways in which we ourselves can better the community and world as a whole. I myself will continue to be involved in the community, since I now better understand my social responsibility and the fact that I cannot rely on others to make changes I see necessary. For the future, Stevenson University should continue to grow the Service Learning program, add new programs, update the website, and try to think of new and innovative ways of attracting students to this great opportunity for learning, not just within the classroom, but more importantly, without.

What

For the Service Learning website, I visited St. Katharine’s Catholic school in Baltimore, Maryland. The school consists of one class for every grade, from preschool to eighth grade. I spoke to the principal, Ms. Angela Calamari, who then gave us a tour of the school. During the tour, Kayla and I got to see every class and interact with the children. I observed many differences in the school from my own educational background.

For one, the dynamic between Ms. Calamari and the children was very different from the dynamic between principal and students in typical suburban schools. She knew everyone by name, and the children were familiar but still respectful in attitude towards her. Ms. Calamari kept her own door open for her students, something that none of my principals past would do. According to Ms. Calamari, one of the school’s missions is to act as a second home for children whose parents are busy attempting to make ends meet, and the school was truly a warm and nurturing environment from what I could tell from our short time there. Ms. Calamari had many stories to share about the children, and was never lacking in praise for their talent and ambition. She created a truly open and affectionate atmosphere, and contributed to the success of the interview and visit.

So What 

Some of the other aspects of the school that I was very unfamiliar with were the security measures taken, and the obvious lack of funding. The school has no cafeteria, no gym, the library is small and non-computerized, and the door is always locked. Children and visitors have to press a buzzer to get in, something that took me by surprise as we entered. Though the measures are necessary, it’s still a bit sad and shocking, especially when I compared it to my early education, where space to play abounded and the doors were open. It’s obvious that the staff and children require help, not just financially, but with willing volunteers to fill the role of tutor, mentor, and teaching assistant.

What Now 

The entire experience showed me how important the service-learning program is. Many of the staff members were very enthusiastic about Stevenson University partnering with St. Katharine’s to contribute volunteers. Speaking with Ms. Calamari showed me the real impact that offering help to those who need it has. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a good home life or an environment free of drugs and gang violence, but all children deserve the opportunity to learn and grow. St. Katharine’s provides this to many low-income families, and supporting them can impact these children’s lives for the better.

These experiences were very informative, and changed my view of education in urban areas, which I had never had a chance to see before. Visiting St. Katharine’s school was quite an eye-opening experience, and one that I won’t soon forget. I hope that Stevenson University’s partnership with St. Katharine’s will bring in lots of new volunteers to the school, and I hope to personally go to the school again, next time as a volunteer.