NEA LEGACY Project draws hundreds of students, retirees to Everett
NEA LEGACY Project draws hundreds of students, retirees to Everett
More than 400 NEA Student and Retired members gathered at Glendale Park in Everett on Thursday, June 29, to volunteer at a community fair for Everett students.
The event, called the LEGACY Project, was organized in conjunction with the NEA Annual Meeting and Representative Assembly. It drew volunteers from across the country who came to Massachusetts for the RA and related activities.
Members of the MTA’s Student Education Association of Massachusetts — aspiring educators enrolled in Massachusetts colleges and universities — were enthusiastic participants, cheering and high-fiving elementary-age students as they got off buses and ran through an arch formed by volunteers’ arms. They then proceeded to different activity stations.
Sylvia Nkrumah, an education major at Holyoke Community College, said that she had lacked self-confidence during her first year of college and wasn’t sure what she wanted to do in the field. But being part of SEAM has connected her with other education students — not only at HCC but at other institutions as well, especially Westfield State University. Along the way, she has gained more confidence in her abilities.
“Being part of this group has been amazing,” she said. “It’s the first time I connected with my major in a serious way.”
She was proud that her chapter won a club award at HCC and that she personally won an award honoring her commitment to the program and her chosen profession.
Tricia Kiefer, faculty adviser to the HCC SEAM chapter, said that the club has brought students together, providing them with a social network as well as professional support. The HCC chapter is the first SEAM chapter at a community college.
It’s harder to organize on community college campuses, Kiefer said, because students commute. Many also have jobs and family to take care of, so their schedules vary. For those reasons, they may need the connections even more, Kiefer added.
For one activity, the chapter screened portions of a film titled “School of the Future” and brought in a panel of professionals to talk about trends in education practices. The chapter has also done professional development in brain development, technology in education and combating summer learning loss. In addition, the chapter held a fundraiser and book drive to benefit Holyoke students.
Ashley Linnehan and Katie Morris are two other MTA members who took a day out of their summer to volunteer at the fair. They are Westfield State University students brimming with enthusiasm.
They were excited that the MTA offers free workshops for students, including sessions on the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure, classroom management, bullying and institutional racism.
“We all get along so well and we’re all so passionate about teaching,” Linnehan said. “It’s amazing.”
They joined aspiring teachers from other states at a pre-RA conference and have learned about similarities and differences. From an Alabama contingent, they learned how to line dance. And what did they teach other students about Massachusetts? “We taught them to appreciate Tom Brady,” Morris said.
Activities at the community fair were both fun and supportive. Options included an obstacle course, dancing, arts and crafts, talking to local firefighters about how to prevent fires, and having their teeth and eyes checked by medical professionals.
At one station, students played a game designed to help them recognize symbols related to health and safety, such as street signs. The booth was run by the Joint Committee for Children's Health Care in Everett, an organization founded in 1994 by MTA member Jackie Coogan, who taught in the community.
Speaking of the fair, Coogan said, “I think it’s absolutely wonderful. It brings the NEA, the MTA and the Everett Teachers Association right down into the community.”
Kim Auger, president of the ETA, felt the same. In brief remarks before the students arrived, school officials praised the union for providing stability and making Everett an attractive place to work. Auger returned the favor by expressing appreciation for support from the administration for activities that show educators in a positive light.
NEA Secretary-Treasurer Princess Moss may have been thinking ahead to the RA when she told the assembled crowd, “Thank you for being willing to disrupt the status quo.” But in Everett on Thursday, the spotlight was on fun.
The LEGACY Project — Leaders Empowering Grassroots Advocacy for Communities and Youth — is part of the NEA Student Leadership Conference for the NEA Student Program. For more information, go here .