15 Years of Making a Difference: Envision

ENVISION

Supporting Students and Teachers in Kenya

Students at Grace Community Education Centre in Nairobi, Kenya have the AIM logo engraved on their pencil boxes and their teachers are preparing to use 15 new MacBook AIR computers to learn about the Science of Reading in an AIM Pathways to Proficient Reading online course. This small global partnership was made possible by former AIM staffer and coach Jamie Stratton who is working in Kenya. Middle School students created and packed kits containing parts for a personalized pencil box and pizza box solar ovens and sent them to Mr. Stratton’s students in Africa.

When AIM parent Dennis Tuza learned about this unique global partnership he reached out to AIM and asked if the school could benefit from having MacBook computers. Mr. Tuza donated 5 MacBooks and in turn received 10 donated computers from Apple. The computers made their way to Kenya this fall and teachers are already enrolled in AIM’s online First Steps modules to help them learn the best way to support students in reading.

Mobile STEAM Lab Builds Bridges

While we were unable to take our new Sylvia’s STEAM Dream mobile lab on the road this year, it did not stop Middle School STEAM teacher Kathy Brandon from sharing STEAM lessons with Philadelphia students at St. James School and The Community Partnership School. AIM students helped Ms. Brandon create kits to deliver to students for a lesson entitled Bridges to Prosperity which included learning about architecture and structures and discussions about how building bridges can provide opportunities for employment, education, healthcare, and food sources for people across the globe. Students then used their own kit of materials to innovate, imagine and create their idea of a sturdy, reliable bridge.

Sam’s Place / Connecting the Biking Community

Throughout the school year it was easy to overlook the construction occurring at the far corner of AIM’s campus. In fact, the bright blue shipping container didn’t look much like a building at all. But this spring that began to change. Thanks to more than 820 donations including a matching grant from Outride and generous in-kind donations from Blackney Hayes Architects and Trek Bicycle, Sam’s Place is ready for students and the public to celebrate the memory of Samuel F. Ozer ‘20, who was riding home from his job as a bike tech at the Trek Bike store in Manayunk when he was struck and killed by a driver on Henry Avenue in Philadelphia. In May, the design team from Trek Bikes arrived on campus to install the interior paneling, decor and equipment in the unique shipping container structure, the home to AIM’s new bike tech program through Project Bike Tech. The team, which usually designs Trek Bike stores around the country, had one instruction when they took on this project to honor Sam according to David Van Dyck, Director of North American Retail at Trek. “Help make it a place that Sam’s family will be proud of.”

Sam’s place is that and so much more.