Work In Progress |
Aspire Program at Hathaway Brown |
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Aspiring to be the best (written by Shawnterra Glasgow, student intern, Saint Luke’s Foundation)
The Aspire program is an all-girls bonding, leadership and growth experience. This three-year program provides girls from Cleveland, East Cleveland and Cleveland Heights schools with the opportunity to grow academically and learn different leadership skills through workshops and classes. Aspire also exposes new and upcoming teachers to what educating is really like. These teachers come from colleges and universities such as Harvard, Brown, and Yale.
On July 25, 2007, I was fortunate to attend the Aspire program’s Career Day program. The program was a great way for the girls to ask questions about careers they may never have considered. The program directors assembled a diverse team of successful women who hold jobs in a variety of fields, including architecture and marketing communications. As I moved from table to table listening to the girls questions, I could clearly see that how Aspire has been positive and eye opening for them.
Aspire students’ views of the world The Aspire students shared their poetry with the Foundation, and we are pleased to share it with you. Enjoy!
Outside in the summer by Chantal Ross
Outside in the summer there is a cool breeze that touch my face and my knees The big green trees look like statues standing straight and tall, For I want to climb them all the way up hoping I don’t fall. The trees are boats on the sea swinging side to side But the sky is a ocean that brings the happiness outside Car passing, engines blasting all in one big noise, But the sky still stands up there turning the color turquoise Acorn shells from squirrels above, swarming around like bees and People walking around hot, in their white tees Outside in the summer
She Dances by Da’ Rya McAllisler
She dances all around, always proud Every now and then she starts to sing out loud She dances gracefully like flowers in the wind Her smile is bright as the sun Everyone starts to clap but she’s jus begun As she dances the beat begins to conquer her every move Everyone started to feel the groove She twirls, she spins, drops down low, bringing it all together she comes up slow She’s like the queen of dancing they all say But she’ll rather be herself just for today
What I Like and Know by Aleigha Woodruff
I like to feel the soft fur on my dog and the cotton on the clothes on my back I like to smell the delicious smell of food being cooked so my hungry stomach will be fed I like to taste warm foods like fried chicken and pizza and I like to taste cold foods like ice cream and frozen grapes I like to hear everyday bird chirping, sound of a lawn mower going and noisy cars going by Then there is silence I like to see my house still there everyday and know I have a roof over my head and that I’m safe and know that my culture is still alive and I’m here to stay
Freedom Poem by Deja Abrams
Me I want to be free from killing, hurt, and anger. When I look on the news I just think about the world we have. When I think about all the people that are hurt and don’t have any food it just makes me sad because all the people that are homeless and trying to get some where in life but they made a mistake but no one will help them so they are just stuck. All I do is think, think, think about all these things and just hope the world would change one day. FREEDOM by Taria Smith
I want to be free from the pain and stress life is causing me. As I cry myself to sleep at night having dreams of one day being free. The dreams are called FREEDOM DREAMS. I like that name. Picture it. FREEDOM DREAMS. Looking at the sky like heavens up there. Looking at the trees like it’s a growing child. In my dreams I look at the animals chuckle at my puffy, nappy, unhappy hair. Sad as my soul. A look on my face expresses my feelings on the inside. As I awaken from my dream I scream… I’m gone be free from all the pain and stress life is causing me. As I think about life and how it effects me. My brothers always whining about how much I get. As so called friends talk about how little I deserve. I know where I can feel free. A place where people teach me. A place where freedom is a word A place where freedom is often heard. From teachers and helpers so I heard. Would You Like to Change Your Neighborhood? by J. Smith
If you could change, Your neighborhood what would it be? Would you change the riots, Like war zones at school? Would you change the graffiti on the big paper, Known as my school? Would you change the language, As nasty as it can be? Would you change disrespect, To respect? Would you change the loud fireworks, But only bullets come out? Would you change your neighborhood? I Sure Would
About Aspire At Hathaway Brown School, we believe that developing a model for twenty-first century women’s education requires involvement in Greater Cleveland. Currently, the School is actively seeking ways to broaden its connection to the city so that we can both learn from our community and participate in the exchange of ideas being generated to improve it.Â
A long time leader in preparing girls to seize the opportunities before them, Hathaway Brown is well-positioned to offer a middle school leadership program and now has connections with over 20 different public schools. It has garnered tremendous resources in terms of faculty expertise, facilities, and curriculum materials. These resources are well-tested and have already supported many promising young women. We feel, however, that the resources have the potential to have impact on a broader range of Cleveland's brightest young women, including girls who come from low income families or who have limited exposure to higher education.
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