Success Stories

Student Snapshot

Adam C., PS 221, Queens

Dorothy Manso, a thirteen-year veteran of ArtWorks—as well as our College Planning program—has gotten to know a special student this year. A retired High School Special Education teacher, Manso lives near P.S. 221, and when ArtWorks came to the school many years ago, she was thrilled. “There must have been karma someplace,” she says. “The administration, the teachers, the students—I can’t tell you what an amazing experience it’s been.” Manso particularly values her close relationship with third-grade teacher Bess Friedman. Read more...

Volunteer Voices

Mary Ann Fastook, College Planning Volunteer

As a College Planning volunteer, I walk to the Brooklyn International School every week to help high school kids apply to college. This high school is for foreign-born students, so, of course there are language difficulties. These emerge particularly when writing essays. Essays aren’t that easy to write to begin with, but writing one that showcases your voice so the college can get to know who you are is even more difficult if English isn’t your native language. Read more...

Learning Liaisons

Margaret Sheri, Parent Coordinator, P.S. 102, Brooklyn

Margaret just realized she’s been working for and with Learning Leaders for a decade. Before Sheri became the Parent Coordinator at The Bay View School eight years ago, she was a Learning Leader at the school. Originally, she found Learning Leaders because her child was a student at P.S. 102 and she wanted to get involved. As Sheri puts it, “I walked through the door ten years ago, and I never walked out.” Read more...