2023 NEWSLETTERS Archives - Page 7 of 8

New Canaan Community Foundation Connects Shepherds Students to New Opportunities

Shepherds | May 16, 2017

Members of the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF) including Board Members Leo Karl III, Sheila Pettee, and NCCF President & CEO, Lauren Patterson joined Shepherds Executive Director, Dan McAuliffe and student liaison, Lisa Matson at Kolbe Cathedral High School in Bridgeport on April 21st to see students demonstrate their prowess with HP Google Chromebooks. Bridgeport-based Shepherds, which provides educational opportunities to underserved students in Connecticut, received a $5,000 grant from the foundation to provide 25 students with the Chromebooks a few months ago. Students now have reliable access to the Internet at home and school for assignments, communication with teachers, research projects and access to online textbooks. A staple of high-performing school districts in Connecticut, the investment in these Chromebooks “represents a small investment with enormous benefits,” according to Mr. McAuliffe. He continues, “It allows our students to close the achievement gap between the low-performing districts we serve and the wealthy suburbs that surround them.” Ms. Patterson added, “New Canaan Community Foundation is proud to help our community of donors give to causes they care about. With this investment in Shepherds, we were so pleased to help all our kids have access to great learning resources.”

Shepherds is looking for new mentors, donors and sponsors for incoming high school students in the greater New Haven & Bridgeport area. To learn how you can help change a student’s life, please visit www.shepherdsmentors.org today or call us at (203) 367- 4273. For more information about the New Canaan Community Foundation (NCCF), visit http://www.newcanaancf.org/.

Interested in Making a Real Difference in a Student’s Life? Be a Mentor.

Shepherds | April 4, 2017

Shepherds (www.shepherdsmentors.org) is looking for mentors, sponsors and donors. We help to close the achievement gap in CT’s inner cities by providing at-risk students with a quality preparatory education and pairing them with a mentor.

The Shepherds’ program targets inner-city youth in the greater Bridgeport and New Haven area who need the support of a small class environment in order to succeed. The students who enter our program have a history of struggling academically in the public school system and tend to lack a strong support system at home. They come from families living below the poverty line, often with a single working parent, parents who have not graduated high school themselves and parents who are non-proficient English speakers. These challenges, coupled with residing in neighborhoods with low high school graduation rates, significantly decrease their likelihood of graduating from public schools and going onto college.

Shepherds works! Our graduation rate is 100% with the majority of our students continuing on to higher education. Shepherds…changing lives one student at a time.

Shepherds Students Getting in the Christmas Spirit

Shepherds | December 13, 2016

Mentors and students from Kolbe Cathedral volunteered together for The Exchange Club of New Canaan’s Christmas Tree Sale. The club transforms Kiwanis Park into a Christmas village each year with over 1,200 trees including Fraser Firs and Balsams – as well as wreaths, roping, tree stands and other seasonal merchandise. Proceeds go to awareness and prevention of child abuse and many other local charities like Shepherds. Kolbe students received community service hours through the project.

Mentor Profile: Tammy Taylor

Shepherds | October 24, 2016

Darien’s Tammy Taylor was introduced to Shepherds shortly after 9/11 and was inspired to try and do some good in her own backyard by helping a young person get to college. She began mentoring Curtia, a wonderful young woman who has since graduated college and is working on her Master’s degree to work with autistic children. Next came Chiniki who is now a nursing student at Dominican College. This year, Tammy began mentoring Ugonna, a junior who aspires to become a doctor.

Although her students have all struggled, each kept on working through the highs and lows and that’s what keeps Tammy coming back each year. “These kids want to succeed, they have the same hopes and dreams that all of us do… they just need a program and a mentor to work with them and keep them focused on what it takes to make those hopes happen.” Tammy is often asked to speak to mentors and students and below are excerpts from a recent address at Kolbe to start the new school year.

“If someone who was unfamiliar with our program walked into this room tonight… he or she would see a group of people who appear to be very very different … We have people who are new to this country… and some who have lived here their whole lives. Some of us do not speak English, for some of us English is a second language, and for some… it is the only language they know. We have different education and economic backgrounds too. On the surface, it would seem we might have very little in common. But here is where they would be very wrong… we have a very strong belief in education and the wonders of learning. We are all here because we know that a strong education set up you… our young people for success.”

“… when I look at at everyone here… I see dedication and commitment. I see students that want to excel and mentors that are willing to put in the time to help them. I see friendships that have blossomed as students and mentors have gotten to know each other. I see mentors that have learned a thing or two from their students. I see understanding and with understanding comes hope and slowly the differences between us begin to melt away.”