Lamont Gordon '93, who was appointed earlier this year as Brown's director of education outreach, is currently working with an advisory group to outline how the University can best interact with local schools. He expects to complete this process by February or March.
To aid this effort, he has been speaking with officials at other universities who have directed successful education outreach programs. In addition, his committee has been coordinating with Providence Public School District officials as well as individuals at Hope High School.
Gordon said he and other officials in the Education Department want to think more collaboratively in order to address local schools' particular needs. Specifically, Gordon said he wants to create new ways for Brown students and professors to connect with local public schools and ensure that those involved in these programs are working toward similar goals.
Gordon previously worked as both a teacher and an administrator at the Community Preparatory School in Providence, which was founded in 1983 to serve low-income students of color preparing for a college preparatory program. He attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he earned a master's degree and is currently working on his doctorate.
Gordon said his new role allows him to "bring the two worlds together," as the position requires him to connect his experiences in higher education and K-12 public schools.
The Oct. 18 release of the final report from the University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice could affect Gordon's efforts and the manner in which Brown generally approaches education outreach, he said.
"The committee's recommendations put forth the call for Brown to have a greater role in education outreach," he said. Though Brown has a long history of interacting with local schools, Gordon said, this interaction has been "ill-coordinated and poorly funded." The slavery and justice committee recommended that Brown create more opportunities for marginalized students, Gordon added.
"Educational opportunity is one of the most important ways that people can participate in society in order to grow and develop," he said.
Both Brown and the local schools should benefit from increased education outreach, Gordon said. Typically, education outreach has been viewed as a way for Brown to help local schools, but benefits to the University should also be taken into account, he said.
Existing education outreach programs at Brown take various forms, involving professors doing research and pursuing professional development to help teachers as well as students serving as tutors and mentors.
Mark Kravatz, newly appointed facilitator of school support, development and community and family engagement at Hope High, has been working with Gordon to develop a public statement defining Brown's relationship with the high school.
The two schools have a "special relationship" because "we are neighbors," Kravatz said.
The University is attempting to "wrap support around the school as it tries to transform itself," said Brian Baldizar, special assistant to PPSD Superintendent Donnie Evans and university liaison, who serves as the "point of contact for university partnerships."
Through current programs, Brown students and faculty have the opportunity to use their work with urban youth to enrich their experiences in the field of education, Kravatz said. These programs include the Let's Get Ready! SAT preparation program and the Brown Science Prep program, run through the Swearer Center for Public Service, and the many internships provided for Hope High School students to work in labs with professors.
Let's Get Ready!, which provides free SAT preparation to students in 11th and 12th grades, is particularly important to underprivileged students, Kravatz said, because they simply cannot afford expensive test preparation courses offered elsewhere.
In addition, the University is able to provide sorely needed supplies to local schools by contributing surplus materials, Kravatz said. Often, items ranging from bookcases to outdated microscopes are discarded, when they could be of great assistance to the schools, he added. Hope High and the University are working collaboratively to make use of these goods, he said.
