African Community Education (ACE) empowers African refugee and immigrant youth through educational, leadership, and cultural programming.
We asked the educators and students to share their feedback about their ThinkGive experience. Here is what they had to say.
Educators: Evelyne Onyonka, Melvin Kaska, John Yormie Jr.
Grades: 3-8
Location: Worcester, MA
Began partnership with ThinkGive: 2021
How did ThinkGive impact your students? Listen below to hear Melvin Kaska’s response!
What’s a highlight from your experience with ThinkGive? Students learned that they can always speak softly, be kind to each other, and use words of encouragement.
Why would you recommend ThinkGive? ThinkGive fits well into our health curriculum and has provided a strong foundation for our SEL program. Developing SEL skills can significantly benefit students throughout their lives, unlike most other subjects. It is important for students to learn how to care for themselves and others.
We surveyed the students who participated in ThinkGive, and the results were outstanding. After participating in ThinkGive:
90% agreed that ThinkGive will help them interact more meaningfully with different people.
84% agreed that ThinkGive is helping them connect with friends.
68% agreed that ThinkGive is helping them be kinder to others.
What did students have to say about their ThinkGive experience?
“I learned how big of an impact a simple act of kindness can have.”
“I learned that I can be a better ally. I also learned that I can help people by respecting them.”
“I learned a lot!”
Each ThinkGive partner has a dedicated program coordinator to ensure seamless service. Here’s what Program Coordinator Hannah Brewster had to say about the partnership
What’s it been like working with ACE? It has been a pleasure collaborating with ACE. Partners Melvin Kaska, Evelyne Onyonka, and John Yormie Jr. often used photographs, emails, and Zoom meetings to share updates about how ThinkGive was progressing with their youth participants. ACE also created a regular “ThinkGive Spotlight” to showcase the developments in ThinkGive programming in their community. In their March edition, they reported that ThinkGive lessons were helping students develop a “sense of compassion for the little ones, pride, and ownership for ACE’s properties as well as courtesy to staff members and guests.”
ACE has been an enthusiastic partner in many ways! They participated in our initiative to bring SEL books to under-resourced youth, used theater tickets from our partner Rodman for Kids to take some of their students to a production of The Nutcracker, and joined us at our 10th Anniversary Gala. I look forward to continuing our rewarding partnership in the upcoming school year!
ACE is a recipient of the SEL for Every Child Fund, which provides full funding to bring ThinkGive social and emotional learning (SEL) programming to their youth. Does your school/organization serve a majority of under-resourced youth and lack funding for SEL? Check if you qualify for funding at thinkgiveproject.org/fund.
