Kids to College Program Brings Local Second Graders to Campus
May 04, 2011
Forty-eight second graders from the Sarah Greenwood School in Dorchester visited Emmanuel College on April 26th as part of the Kids to College program.
Members of Emmanuel's Education Club were on hand to guide the "Second Grade Scholars" on a scavenger hunt through the Administration Building, Jean Yawkey Center, St. Joseph Hall and Cardinal Cushing Library to experience a day in the life of an Emmanuel student. Education Club President Katie Farrell '12 recognized the importance of making college a tangible goal as early as possible.
"Students are told that they need to work hard so they can go to a good college someday, but it's hard to be motivated to work towards something you do not really understand," Farrell said.
Emmanuel graduate Katie Harper Papadeas '08, a second-grade teacher at Sarah Greenwood, explained that most of the students' parents didn't attend college, so they were unaware of the opportunities that higher education offers.
"At the beginning of the year, all the kids wanted to play basketball or be an actress," she said. "Now, I hear them talking about art therapy. Instead of playing with Legos, they want to build bridges. It's a great feeling, hearing them talk about making real-life decisions."
The future Class of 2025 has been participating in "College Fridays" at Sarah Greenwood, hosting guest-speakers and professionals in different areas of study. Their visit to Emmanuel's campus was the capstone of these sessions.
"Being on this campus makes it a realistic dream for them," Papadeas said. "It was great bringing my students here, where I learned to become a teacher."
The Kids to College initiative allows students in the Boston area to come to Emmanuel and participate in programs designed to help prepare them for their pursuit of higher education. The program is sponsored by the Jean Yawkey Center for Community Leadership, which was established in 2004 by a generous grant from the Yawkey Foundation.
