Steppingstone empowers students from marginalized communities by equipping them with the tools to access, navigate, and graduate from college. Their programming spans from academic support to social-emotional learning and college readiness, beginning as early as fifth grade and continuing through college.
ThinkGive launched its partnership with Steppingstone in the summer of 2024, providing valuable SEL opportunities for students. We gathered feedback from educators and students about their experience, and here’s what they had to say.
Educators: Patrick Mullen and Katherine Cleary
Grades: 6-7
Location: Boston, MA
Began partnership with ThinkGive: 2024
Impact of ThinkGive on Students: “The SEL content was very helpful for young people, especially in regards to conflict resolution and problem-solving.”
Highlights of the ThinkGive Experience: “I taught a group of scholars who were vulnerable and shared insights into their emotions. They shared what makes them upset, how they cope, and how they take care when they’re feeling negatively about themselves. It was great to see them learn about tools they could use to empower themselves.”
Survey Results: After participating in ThinkGive, students reported significant improvements in their interactions:
67% agreed that they were becoming kinder to others.
62% reported interacting more meaningfully with different people.
62% agreed that ThinkGive helped their group feel more inclusive.
56% felt more connected with their friends.
51% agreed that they were becoming kinder to themselves.
Student Voices: Here’s what some students had to say about their ThinkGive experience:
“I think this is a great space to share feelings and opinions and feel safe with each other.”
“It helps me form closer connections with my friends and classmates.”
“I learned how to be kind to myself and to others.”
Hannah Brewster, ThinkGive’s Program Coordinator for Steppingstone, shared her reflections on the partnership:
What’s it been like working with Steppingstone? “One of my favorite aspects of being a program coordinator is the opportunity to learn from our partners, and working with Steppingstone was no exception. Amber Goad, Steppingstone’s Director of Social Emotional Learning at the time, adapted lessons from our Circles of Care program to fit the time constraints of their summer program. Over the course of five weeks, Steppingstone’s Middle School Success Advisors facilitated our program with six groups of 7th graders and one group of 6th graders. By the end of the summer, as shared by Social Emotional Learning Associate Katie Cleary, the Scholars had created a “super super long” paper kindness chain to represent the many positive actions they had taken while learning about and practicing giving of themselves. Steppingstone’s model of prioritizing social-emotional well-being alongside academic excellence clearly resonates with their Scholars. I look forward to our continued partnership!”
Steppingstone is a recipient of the SEL for Every Child Fund, which provides full funding to implement ThinkGive’s SEL programming. If your school/organization serves a majority of under-resourced youth and lacks funding for SEL initiatives, find out if you qualify at thinkgiveproject.org/fund.
This pilot program was sponsored by:
