As Anike Tourse pursued her dreams to work in film, she knew that “you need people that believe in you,” especially if you’re an artist. For this Newton Public Schools (NPS) alumna, some of those pivotal supporters were her teachers.
This Thursday, March 14, Tourse will honor the NPS educators who “really had my back,” as the keynote speaker at Newton Inspires, the annual fundraiser for the Newton Schools Foundation (NSF).
“They teach you how to be a critical thinker … you need that to problem solve,” said Tourse, who wrote, helped produce, directed, and acted in the immigration movie, America’s Family.
She said, “I was really honored and really excited,” after being asked to speak at the event and reflect on how the Newton Public Schools have impacted her life and career.
Tourse also said she admires the NSF’s mission to give grants that enable teachers to do “things that they’re really passionate about.”
According to the nonprofit’s website, the “Newton Schools Foundation advances excellence and equity in the Newton Public Schools by funding new approaches in the classroom, professional development for teachers, and programs that promote equity for all students.”
In addition to Tourse, this year’s Newton Inspires event also will feature:
- Adrian B. Mims, Sr., founder and CEO of The Calculus Project, which is a key initiative of NSF
- Marguerite Fletcher, diversity consultant and attorney
- Thom Solo (NPS alum), women’s shoe designer for style icons, in conversation with editorial director and former style editor Jill Radsken
Making a difference
Sally Brickell, Newton Inspires co-chairwoman, whose four kids attended NPS, said, “we can’t be passive … we have to get ourselves involved in the school system to make it better.”
She and fellow co-chairwoman Patty McCabe are on the board of the NSF even though neither currently has a child in the school system.
“This was a way to keep giving back,” said McCabe.
The NSF began in 1985. McCabe said the nonprofit has given out $3.7 million since 2000 (earlier records have not yet been digitized).
According the website, NSF makes grants in three areas:
- New approaches in the classroom that allow educators to “keep curriculum engaging and dynamic and encourages teachers to incubate ideas and collaborate as they cultivate their educational practices”
- Professional development for teachers, “so that they can expand their practice and supplement the opportunities that the district provides”
- Programs that promote equity for all students, that help them “to achieve their full potential by funding programs that address racial, income and social identity inequities and balance the opportunities available to Newton’s diverse student population”
The Calculus Project has been a major initiative of the Newton Schools Foundation since 2015. It aims to increase the number of Hispanic, African American, and low-income students who successfully complete calculus in high school, as a path to success in college. Across all of Newton’s middle and high schools last year, over 200 students in Grades 8-12 participated in the program, and 95% were in honors or accelerated math. The program includes intensive, small-group summer classes, enrichment activities, and year-round mentoring and tutoring. Its summer component provides instruction in computer science, field trips to STEM-related companies, and college campus visits for rising 11th graders with a focus on STEM majors and careers.
Other projects funded by the Newton Schools Foundation include:
- Memorial-Spaulding: $3,835 for explicit and multisensory instruction to support struggling readers in the early grades
- Newton South HS: $2,308 for a counseling center initiative
- All elementary schools: $26,969 for “Math Challenge” resources
- Newton North HS: $4,800 for civic action projects
- Horace Mann: $17,905.76 for “Just Right Reading Practice for All”
- Ward: $2,923.44 for investigating banned books in the fourth grade
- All elementary schools: $45,000 for first-grade reading teachers to participate in a literacy equity project
Newton Inspires will take place on March 14, from 6PM to 9PM at Newton South High School, 140 Brandeis Road. Tickets are available online ($40 each and include a boxed meal).
