Higher Achievement Scholar Testifies Before the Maryland Senate

Higher Achievement scholar Ta’Shawn Miles has done it again!


(Ta'Shawn is photographed above with Senator Catherine Pugh.)

This time, Ta'Shawn had the opportunity to testify before the Maryland Senate in favor of Senate Bill 580, an After School and Summer Learning Activity fund. SB580/HB1197 “Maryland Afterschool and Summer Learning Activity Program – Income Tax Checkoff,” establishes the “Maryland After-School and Summer Learning Activity Fund” which is funded through a voluntary donation by taxpayers via a check-off on the Maryland State income tax return.

You can read an excerpt of Ta'Shawn's remarks below:


"Our mentors help us to feel confident in what we have learned in school and help to teach us more. They don’t only teach us educational lessons, but they teach us skills such as how to deal with conflict, right from wrong and how to work with others in a team.

Mentors are great because they are like family that knows how to tutor you. It feels good to have adult friends that I know want the best for me and will help me to get the best.

I would like to become a mentor as soon as I am able to so that I can help children through the education and life experiences that I have and will gain.
I am thankful to Higher Achievement for giving me these opportunities. I think every child should have an after school and summer program like Higher Achievement.
Thank you."

Be Spellbound by Higher Achievement Baltimore’s First Annual Spelling Bee!

Higher Achievement Baltimore will be hosting their first annual Spelling Bee, joined by Council Member Belinda Conaway, who will assist the organization in facilitating their very first signature event. The Spelling Bee will feature the spelling talents of middle school students from Higher Achievement’s West Baltimore Achievement Center, and is an annual celebration of the students’ hard work and academic excellence. The Spelling Bee will be held on Tuesday, March 2, at 6:00 pm at Dr. Nathan A. Pitts Ashburton Elementary/ Middle School, which will be followed by an Award Ceremony.

Event Details:
Who: Higher Achievement Scholars
What: First Annual Spelling Bee (with Council Member Belinda Conway)
When: Tuesday, March 2nd
6:00 pm
Where: Dr. Nathan A. Pitts Ashburton Elementary/ Middle School
3935 Hilton Road Baltimore, MD 21215

Higher Achievement Spotlighted by Baltimore's Education Channel 77

Click here to check it out! Higher Achievement's coverage begins a little after the 12 minute mark, and ends shortly after the 15 minute mark.

ENJOY!

Higher Achievement Scholar TaShawn Miles Featured by the Open Society Institute-Baltimore

Audacious Ideas is a blog created to stimulate ideas and discussion about solutions to difficult problems in Baltimore. Each week, they ask individuals to think candidly and audaciously about what can be done to promote opportunity, achievement, health and prosperity in our city.

This week, Higher Achievement's own Ta’Shawn Miles, talks to the importance of having mentors in his life, and his meeting President Obama. To read his audacious idea click here.

The Literary Love Poetry Performance: A Huge Success

On February 17, 2010, approximately 250 supporters gathered in the Kennedy Center’s Family Theatre, for the 5th annual Literary Love Poetry Performance. The event celebrated 8 of Higher Achievement’s 450 scholars. The Literary Love Poetry Performance is the climax to one of Higher Achievement’s signature Center events - the Literary Love Poem Competition - that highlights the poetic talents of middle school students, and their ability to combine their literary knowledge with personal creativity.

The event’s audience consisted of family members, mentors, funders, general supporters and press. The audience was moved by the poet deliveries and the depth at which middle schoolers could reflect on love. Scholar emcee Taylor Kelly from the Ward 1 Achievement Center put it best when she said, “It’s ALL OVER this world! It’s in this country, in the towns we live in, in our homes, our schools, in this program, and in this room RIGHT NOW!.”

The evening’s featured poets delivered inspiring poetry that focused on everything from the love of one’s brother, to the undying love of one’s culture. The featured scholars represented Wards 1, 4, 6 and 7 in the DC Metro area.

The featured poets are listed below:

(Ward 1 Scholars)
Elexia Alleyne
Josanna Dowtin

(Ward 4 Scholars)
Jelani White and James Butler
Chioma Aneke

(Ward 6 Scholars)
Jerome Parks
Noelle Edwards

(Ward 7 Scholars)
Timani Richardson
Greglena Sanders

Higher Achievement Alumna Featured by the National Campaign for Summer Learning

Higher Achievement alumna, Zenniah Davis, was recently featured by the National Campaign for Summer Learning. Last summmer, Higher Achievement submitted entries from both mentors and scholars that told our story. Click here to check out Zenniah's story.

Teaching Algebra Before 9th Grade

Higher Achievement came across some interesting findings on the efforts to teach all students algebra by 9th grade. One important point that a commenter made is that we can and should teach algebraic thinking and reasoning early on, if not the actual algebra; this is reflected in both Higher Achievement standards and in the Higher Achievement curriculum. Check out the article in Education Week.

Higher Achievement Featured in the Nonprofit Quarterly!

Higher Achievement CEO, Richard Tagle and Chief of Programs, Rachel Gwaltney were recently featured in the Nonprofit Quarterly, addressing the state of philanthropy under the Obama administration. Just click on the images below to read the article.