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"At my old school, it was always time to play, but at KIPP it's time to learn!"

-- Daphne C., KIPP Ascend Student

 

AmeriCorps Project YES

 AMERICORPS - PROJECT Y.E.S.

Project Y.E.S. (Youth, Education & Service) Team Members

KIPP Ascend has developed a unique partnership with Northwestern University Settlement Association, which places AmeriCorps volunteers in the school to serve as Learning Support Assistants throughout the year.  Following is a testimonial from Martin Torres, a 2004-05 Corps member:

Project Y.E.S.After graduating from the University of Illinois with a degree in Political Science, I decided to pursue a career path that would work towards making society better. This commitment led me to the decision to spend a year of service in the AmeriCorps Project Y.E.S. Program.

AmeriCorps Project Y.E.S. (Youth, Education & Service) divides its members among four different schools on Chicago 's West Side, including KIPP Ascend Charter School. I have been placed, along with five other Corps members, as a Learning Support Assistant at KIPP Ascend, and can testify that it has been the best way I could have possibly spent my first year after college.  I really believe in KIPP's model of education and in the teachers and administrators that make everything possible at our school.

Through working with them and the students I have learned a lot about urban education, charter schools, school governance, and teaching. I have also learned a lot about myself in the process. 

I work as the teaching assistant for Math and assist in managing the Franklin Street Program (an after-school tutoring program) for both 5th and 6th graders. The best part of my job is sensing when a child understands something that I have helped teach them. It makes my day to see their face light up when they grasp a new concept and prove their ability. They take pride in their work, and I take pride in mine. I get this feeling throughout my day and it is extremely satisfying. 

I look at our students and I know they are going to be great at whatever they do. As cliché as it sounds, I believe our students have so much potential. We do our best to help them realize it, and to instill an ethic of achieving excellence both in the classroom and in life. During the after school tutoring program, I try as often as I can to give advice and share life lessons while working with the students. I try to be a role model for them and to help them believe in their ability to be exceptional. 

My experiences here have given me a roller coaster ride of emotions. I have seen and been a part of things that make me smile to myself and sometimes laugh out loud. I have also seen and been a part of things that make me shake my head and go to sleep frustrated with life. However, when I am in need of a little inspiration, I think about how important the work is and of the students I work with, and I regain my balance.  I have always had respect for teachers and administrators, but until you are involved in the day-to-day business of education you really have no idea what it's like. KIPP teachers wear 'many hats' and are more than just teachers. They are motivators, guidance counselors, and role models. I am proud just to be a part of it all. 

When my stint with AmeriCorps Project Y.E.S. and KIPP is over, I will surely leave fighting back some tears. I will miss the students, teachers, and work that I do. But I will walk away a better man with a greater perspective on life. I will walk way with a unique insight into the field of education. I will walk away proud and satisfied knowing that the work I did will make society better.

 

If you are interested in learning more about Project Y.E.S., please contact the NUSH AmeriCorps office at 773.278.7471 or visit their website.