PALS 2021 Annual Report

PHILLIPS ACADEMY OUTREACH PROGRAM REPORT

OUR MISSION Founded in 1988, PALS is an academic-year tutoring and high school preparation program for students from the city of Lawrence, Mass. PALS, which stands for Phillips Academy, Andover, and Lawrence Schools, brings middle schoolers together with tutors from Phillips Academy and Andover High School—for the benefit of all.

WHO WE SERVE PALS works with students beginning in the spring of 6th grade and provides programming through the summer before high school.

WHAT WE DO Along with academic enrichment, study skills, and learning strategies, PALS provides information about high school options and support for a successful transition to secondary school.

2021 PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

While adjusting to the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, PALS continues to evolve. In 2020–2021, the program solidified several key elements of its mission, including the following:

 FOUR-WEEK SUMMER—Since 1988, PALS has offered a robust summer program for up to 40 participants. Rising 7th-, 8th-, and 9th-graders are invited from middle schools in nearby Lawrence, Mass. Traditionally hosted at Phillips Academy for four weeks every July, we look forward to returning to the Andover campus in 2022.

 HIGH SCHOOL APPLICATION SUPPORT—In 2019, PALS began providing its summer participants with additional support for their high school application process. For extra guidance, we connect applicants with a counselor based in their school.

 TUTORS—PALS is able to offer academic-year programming because of the commitment of Phillips Academy students, and our offerings are designed to best meet the needs of our community partners. In 2020, we brought tutors to middle schools. In 2021, we held remote book clubs.

In 2022, we once again plan to connect middle school students with high school tutors, who will support their academic success when and where it is most impactful.

 REMOVING BARRIERS—Reconciling its history and the present needs of our community, PALS no longer uses past academic success as a measure to determine participation in the program. Students were once admitted to PALS in the spring of 6th grade and remained engaged through the start of high school. PALS now focuses on providing more flexible access to programming and information so that we can engage with as many students as possible.

Visit andover.edu/pals to learn more about the people and impact of PALS.

KEEPING KIDS CONNECTED

12

98%

GUEST SPEAKERS

“

NICOLE SHADEED

1 MUSEUM EDUCATION DIRECTOR 5 CAREER PANELISTS 6 HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSION OFFICERS

ATTENDANCE RATE

Director

In another year in which uncertainty impacted all aspects of our lives, PALS offered a foundation. We rooted our summer program in access and inclusion and focused on rich educational engagement

2,160 MINUTES logged by PALS participants on Zoom in July

opportunities. We are grateful that day after day our participants,

1,723 MILES between our furthest remote locations (Puerto Rico and Windham, N.H.)

advisors, and instructors brought their energy, curiosity, and humor to the program.”

Born and raised in Lawrence, Mass., Nicole Shadeed attended the city’s K–12 public schools. A first-generation college graduate and MA degree recipient, Shadeed returned to Lawrence High School as an English teacher and later became a school counselor. In addition to leading PALS, Shadeed is associate director of College Counseling at Phillips Academy.

19 SUPERHEROES created in Ms. Adirah’s classes after students read The Shadow Hero

5 Lawrence middle schools participated in our summer program

3

remote book clubs were held

JAYHRONNIE

Rising 9th-grader

“I am really

“I taught Finding

interested in

the Hero in You. The

astronomy. I was so

course combines

happy to learn what

activism with art,

the Drake equation

ADIRAH AISHET-TSALMIEL

is and how to use it—

Reading & Writing Instructor

seeing the possibility

of other living organisms in the universe

history, writing, and reading. Students identified a local or global issue about

was fascinating. PALS was the first

which they’re passionate, then created

extracurricular program I’ve ever been

an original comic starring themselves as

in. I had such a positive experience that it motivated me to apply to other programs like (MS)2 at Phillips Academy and SEED Academy at MIT.”

SUCCESS IN A REMOTE SETTING After a Zoom-heavy academic year, we knew that PALS Summer had to be strategic in its schedule and content.

We opted to meet three half-days per week over four

“I taught a digital music

weeks in July. From 9 a.m. until noon each day, we

making course. To keep

cycled our participants through multiple blocks of

students engaged, I

programming.

gave them the space to explore the music they cared about the most and ensured access to it.

DENISE TAVERAS ’21 Advisor

Our greatest challenge was the orientation period. We struggled through building a community and learning how to use the music programs we needed. But after that, the technology was a great way to

In addition to reading, writing, and mathematics, we

the hero/heroine who saves the day. We explored the science behind superpowers and visited places around the world that celebrate comics. This class is designed to empower students and help them learn they are not too young to solve serious issues.

As we were wrapping up the session, one student showed he took our missions quite seriously, even referring to me by my superhero name. ‘Literak,’ he said, ‘let’s get out of here. We have a world to save!’ That was the icing on the cake!”

offered creative writing, digital music making, and a session on demystifying the high school application process. Wednesdays focused on connection.

Community-building opportunities included a virtual

“My favorite part of PALS was reading 50 pages

tour of the Addison Gallery of American Art and a

a week of the comic

robust career panel of Lawrence High School alumni.

book The Shadow Hero,

experiment with music without having to

PALS instructors and advisors were tasked with

purchase instruments. It added a layer of

designing highly engaging lessons that would keep our

accessibility the students appreciated and,

participants coming back. And we found success! Our

in the end, they were very excited to share

98% overall attendance rate was a testament to student

their art with each other.”

engagement and determination.

JANCIEL

Rising 7th-grader

because it was the first book I read alone and enjoyed. It taught me that books can be fun to read. As a final project, we made our own heroes. I dressed up as my hero’s nemesis and showed my own comic.”

Career Panel

THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF A REUNION GIFT The PALS program, along with Phillips Academy’s

provided crucial funding for the PALS summer program,

Andover Bread Loaf (ABL) program and two community

youth leader stipends, and academic materials. Recipients

nonprofits, were the beneficiaries of some true non sibi

of the match funds were Groundwork Lawrence and

spirit when the PA Class of 1971 banded together for a

Essex County Habitat for Humanity, chosen by class

unique 50th Reunion gift.

leaders for their missions of activism and social service

Zoom

throughout the greater Merrimack Valley.

The gift to PALS enabled the program to continue providing critical academic enrichment and engagement opportunities to students in Lawrence. Similarly, the gift to ABL bolstered stipends for its writing leaders program—empowering and inspiring Lawrence youth to become literacy educators and advocates. Together, these gifts help to endow the next generation with the

on Zoom with PALS participants to share stories and wisdom about how they figured out what they wanted to do in life and how they achieved those goals.

Like most PALS participants, Vivian Baez grew up in Lawrence and attended Lawrence public schools.

consciousness.

“Most of us had been struck by the state of the world and COVID-19 and its impact on the economy,” says Geoff Foisie ’71. “I asked, what if we use this occasion— reunion—as a way to assist those who are less fortunate.

a dozen classmates collaborated to match all donations

taken them far and wide. In mid-July, they gathered

communities.

attended Andover during an era of increased social

In an endeavor christened the PA’71/Lawrence Project,

Mass., natives whose education and career paths have

power to affect positive and sustainable change in their

The overall idea for the gift resonated with a class that

Jamey French ’71, second from right, stopped in at Groundwork Lawrence to see how the PA’71/Lawrence Project has helped fund youth gardening initiatives.

The Lawrence Career Panel featured five Lawrence,

And class members responded right away.”

Now the assistant director of psychological services at Phillips Academy, she hopes the participants saw themselves reflected in her. “The pathway to success isn’t always linear,” she told them. “There are multiple ways of achieving a goal.”

Dario Collado ’98 agrees. As the director of strategic development for the Hispanic Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., he emphasized that the participants can do anything they put their minds to. “If you work

Additionally, a state tax credit awarded to some of the

hard and are a good person,” he says, “anything is

donors will be re-donated. Class giving ultimately yielded

possible.”

$180,000 for division among PALS, ABL, and the two charities.

from classmates to PALS and ABL with gifts to two

“This was really a group initiative,” says Foisie, “and that

Lawrence nonprofit organizations. As a result, they

was one of the great things about it.”

Featured on the panel were (top, from left): Joel Cruz, senior software engineer at Pinpoint Global, Nashua, N.H. Dario Collado ’98, director of strategic development at Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C. Jonathan Guzman, public affairs coordinator at Groundwork Lawrence Cesar Batista, senior academic coach at Duet, Boston, Mass.

Vivian Baez, assistant director of psychological services at Phillips Academy

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

These generous 2020–2021 donors provided vital resources for PALS students and helped ensure the program’s continued success. Thank you!

Foundations Cornell Family Foundation Charles E. Foisy & Florida C.A. Foisy Foundation Greater Lawrence Summer Fund Edward S. & Winifred G. Moseley Foundation Josephine G. Russell Trust Artemas W. Stearns Trust Waldo Trust

Individuals Anonymous Murali Aravamudan & Lakshmi Murali P’16 Rachel L. Bain ’98 Donald T. Barry & Roxanne Scott Barry P’94, ’97, ’02 Matthew R. Bergeron ’84 & Andrea D. Bergeron P’16 Louis M. Bernieri P’96, ’10 & Heather C. Bryant J. Thomas Bolles ’71 Christopher J. Brescia ’71 & Carol Zarinelli Brescia Robert A. Briggs ’82, P’11 Vincent J. Broderick ’71 Stephen B. Burbank ’64 & Ellen Coolidge Burbank Samuel C. Butler Jr. ’72 & Susan Jett P’03, ’09 Thomas F. & Eleanor E. Caffrey P’84, ’85 Ellinor Parnes Campbell ’01 & John-Paul Campbell Richard M. Cashin Jr. ’71 & Lisa Smith Cashin Carlota Castillo Andrew D. Caverly ’71 & Lauren A. Caverly E. Drew Cheney ’71 & Sarah Witte

Carolyn Chica ’08 Hirsh K. Chitkara ’14 Etahn M. Cohen ’71 & Amy Paller Cohen Allison M. Colbert ’01 Bradford J. Colbert ’06 & Amanda Colbert Sherene S. Davidson ’07 & Tyren Bynum Elizabeth A. DeLucia ’85 Michael R. Deschenes ’91 & Mary-Ellen Odesse Michael J. & Rose Marie DiResta P’00 Tasneem Dohadwala ’00 & Mustali Dohadwala P’24 Webster P. Dove ’71 & Monica E. Dove Peter L. Drench P’90, ’95 & Anne Ferguson Christopher H. Duble ’71 & Kathleen B. Duble P’06, ’09 Patricia & George H. Edmonds P’79, ’82 Patrick J. & Karen J. Farrell P’08 Keith T. Flaherty, MD, ’89 & Mira Kautzky, MD, P’23 Aaron J. Flanagan ’94 & Elizabeth Rankin Lisa M. Foster ’84, P’12, ’22 Alan F. French P’77, ’82 Jameson S. French ’71 & Priscilla S. French Beth Friedman & Sherri Bisci Robert N. Frisbie ’71 & Kristine B. Frisbie Andrew Frishman ’93 & Leigh Needleman Elinor Cahill Georgopulo ’44 David M. Gravallese ’71 & Joanne M. Gravallese

In these challenging times, the ongoing support

Daniel E. Haarmann ’93 & Lan Haarmann

John S. Miner ’71 & Nelle Alexander

Henry H. Hammond ’54 Hongling Han & Qiegang Long P’21 Ish Harshawat ’98 & Emma Acker Carol Hepworth William L. Hudson ’70 Donald C. Jackson ’71 Omar A. Jaffer ’98 Matthew P. Kahn ’06 Philip J. Kann ’71 Charles B. Keefe ’71 & Lila B. Locksley SukHee C. Kim ’98 Michael J. Koehler ’94 & Amy Koehler Durgesh A. Kudchadkar ’94 G. Elizabeth Lasater, DPT ’96 & Miles H. Lasater ’96 Harold H. Leach III ’21 Chien Lee ’71 & Kitty Chou Mela Lew ’79 & Harold H. Leach Jr. P’19, ’21 Jun Li & Shensheng Wang P’24 Stephen W. Lindsay ’71 & Johanna Lindsay David H. Lipsey ’71 & Dianne Chasen Lipsey Stanley Livingston III, MD, ’71 & Annie Hughes Thomas P. Lockerby & Kathleen J. McCrickerd Sean M. Logan & Joy St. John Denise Mallen ’71 Richard O. McHarg, USN, Ret. ’71 & Kris Swanson McHarg David J. McLanahan, MD, ’59 & Gail Tanaka Gregg R. Meserole ’71 & Katherine O. Meserole P’98

William M. Murray Jr. ’71 & Kristen Trouse Murray Nicholas Olmo ’98 & Johanna Olmo Christina J. Pai ’96 Beth & Tim Parsons William C. Parsons ’85 & Katherine C. Parsons Daniel S. Rabinovitz ’97 & Darcy Lapp-Rabinovitz Pierce Rafferty ’71 & Vicki Rafferty Claire R. Ressel ’16 Nicaury M. Rodriguez Charles B. Schaff Jr. ’71 & Cheryl O. Schaff Beverly A. Schiripo Frank & Linda M. Shadeed Nicole K. Shadeed & Sean J. McCarthy Ila Jain Shah ’96 & Rajeev Shah P’25 Thomas J. Siegel ’71 & Julia Priest Jennifer H. Smith, PhD, ’89 Amy C. Spaulding ’83 & Joseph M. Tansey Jr. Deborah L. Stahl-Hannam ’80, P’17 Oscar L. Tang ’56 Jesenia Tejada-Perez & Calvin W. Perez Sylvia L. Thayer ’54 & J. Philip Zaeder P’79, ’83, GP’17, ’18 Seth Walworth ’71 & Susan Chadwell Walworth W. Douglas Wham ’71 & Susan Aaronson Wham Brittany Zorn, IRT ’13

This list reflects gifts received from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021.

P = Phillips Academy Parent GP = Phillips Academy Grandparent IRT = Institute for Recruitment of Teachers alumnus/a

andover.edu/pals

of alumni, parents, and friends is especially critical to PALS. Your gift—of any size—will help these young students strengthen their academic skills, connect with mentors, develop learning strategies, and make a more successful transition to high school.

SUPPORT PALS TODAY To learn more about supporting PALS, please contact Beth Parsons, director for museums and educational outreach, at 978-749-4523 or bparsons@andover.edu.

A PRIVATE SCHOOL WITH A PUBLIC PURPOSE Phillips Academy’s four educational outreach programs—Andover Bread Loaf, the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers, (MS)2, and PALS—have long served as resources for students and teachers locally, nationally, and worldwide.