NewcomersWELCOME How Collegiate Upper School students are engaging Wichita newcomers - reframing the conversation around refugees through the Newcomer Club, and the program to further empower Spartans to serve their community
When one walks down the halls of the Upper School, they see classrooms buzzing with tense curiosity about math, science, language, and the arts. But part of what makes Collegiate special is the complete experience. An opportunity to shine academically, athletically, and in the fine arts. And perhaps more importantly, an opportunity to see the world through the eyes, hearts, and minds of our neighbors-- an experience connected to our Institute for Social Impact, which is launching this fall. But imagine for now that it is 2017. Caitlin Mattar is a freshman at Wichita Collegiate School. Like many, she is looking for a place to be engaged. She knows she wants to be of service to her community, but what she doesn’t know just yet is that this expectation of service could be equally impactful to her. A conversation with a caring mentor, JoyAnn Brake, WCS Community Service Coordinator, altered the trajectory of Mattar’s Collegiate experience. The path she followed directly influenced her ideas about the world around us. The IRC, or International Rescue Committee, had presented an opportunity for partnering with Collegiate and, for Mattar, this was just the beginning.
“We reached out, and we started with Newcomer Field Day,” Mattar, now a Senior at WCS, said. “We got together and newcomers – which is [the correct] way of saying refugees – got together and we had fun, played basketball, went on scooters, and enjoyed activities.” The beginnings of a student program The process was simple – newcomers were invited to the WCS campus for snacks and activities and paired with Collegiate students who could help make the transition to life in Wichita easier. These students could provide a consistent and caring face, offer empathy, see commonalities, and celebrate differences. The first year was so successful that it led Mattar to create a student club for the Upper School devoted specifically to forming relationships with IRC students – the Newcomer Club – during her sophomore year. The partnership between Collegiate and IRC has allowed for many newcomer students to form friendships with Spartans. “We help them with their high school knowledge,” Mattar said. The Newcomer Club also provides tutoring experiences for students who simply need a peer with a heart for service, and the passion for academics, to thrive. “Our high school students work with them,” Mattar said. “I’m really thankful for our high school students being able to help.” Increased commitments lead to student growth in shared empathy Getting this program off the ground was no small commitment. In 2017-2018, Mattar and fellow Newcomer Club students spent more than two hours a week getting field days up and running. The following year, Mattar invested more than five hours a week as tutoring became a need our students detected and responded to. The Newcomer Club now has a board that meets regularly to discuss the program. “I care because, when I saw the Newcomer students for the first time with our Collegiate students, my heart was really happy,” Mattar said. “Our Collegiate students stay in contact with the newcomers. Seeing us make an impact even in the smallest way – it makes me really happy.” By the Spring of 2020, the Newcomer Club had multiple students spending more than eight hours a week tutoring and building relationships with newcomers in East Wichita. Our students were eager to make a difference through shared experiences. It was clear that this partnership was
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