Education in diversity

The Enrichment Outreach Partnership after-school program in Canton, Ohio

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In the northeastern, ethnically diverse area of Stark County in Canton, Ohio—a medium-sized Midwestern town famous for its NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame landmark—flourishes an extraordinary after-school program imparting the precious gifts of hope and community
to the children of the contemporary city.

When asked if he likes the after-school program he regularly attends, 8-year-old Brian stated, “When I came here I didn’t think I was smart. Then the teachers helped me, and now I know I am smart.” Another regular, Payton, 6, had a comment of her own: “It’s fun; it’s cool. It helps us learn more. We all like it here. My favorite activity is to learn to read!”

Under the direction of Msgr. Lewis Gaetano, pastor of St. Paul’s Catholic Church and administrator of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church, and Dr. Jeannie DeFazio, Ph.D., Walsh University’s Division Chair of Education, the Enrichment Outreach Partnership Program is successfully engaging university, civic, pastoral and social agencies in its dream of providing an outreach program for the African-American, Hispanic and Anglo community.

Due to ongoing collaborative efforts with Antioch Baptist Church, the program has expanded. Our Lady of Peace Catholic School furnished needed classroom space, technology, and a recreational and physical education room that can accommodate both a summer program and a year-long after-school program — a fact that was duly noted as this year’s summer and fall enrollment doubled from that of last year! “The summer camp and the school year program give the students a way to build on the educational, social and behavioral skills that challenge and empower our students,” as Sylvia Karolewski, a graduate student at Walsh University, stated.

Within a month after Msgr. Gaetano communicated his desire to provide a safe environment where students receive help with homework, the first satellites in four restaurants and a parish hall opened. More than a year and a half later, the program now tutors K-12 students by 25 Walsh University students and provides assistance by a dedicated team of volunteers.

With a multiethnic group of students at the Enrichment Outreach Partnership, DeFazio holds fast to a deep tenet: “We want to show that we all can work together in unity. We believe it’s important to introduce children and families from diverse backgrounds to each other
so that they learn about each other and develop mutual respect.”

Trisha Postlewait, a mother with three children in the after-school program—one of whom is learning disabled, praised the staff’s dedication and availability. “I noticed a massive improvement in my oldest son, age 11,” she said. “His grades went from Ds and Fs to Bs and Cs in one single nine-week grading period. His self-esteem has improved and his ability to self-manage is noticeable. My other two children look forward to the programs and my youngest daughter, 6, is always excited to go back and make new ‘Walsh Buddies.’ The atmosphere is relaxed and caring. The staff is there because they care, not because they have to be.”

DeFazio introduced the Focolare’s Cube of Love and its curriculum to the outreach program to demonstrate and reinforce the program’s values. “The Cube really fits our mission and purpose,” she affirmed. Members of the Focolare for over 20 years, DeFazio and her husband, Nick, an educator, psychologist and volunteer at the program, have sought to integrate the spirituality of unity into their work and community commitment. In 2006, their participation in the Focolare’s International Congress on Education entitled, “The Community as School,” impacted them greatly.

An independent, coeducational Catholic, liberal arts and sciences institution, Walsh University, is dedicated to pursuing its mission: the creation of leaders through service to others. Here, volunteer work isn’t simply encouraged, it’s required as part of the core curriculum. Walsh students built homes for Katrina victims in New Orleans, prepare taxes for low-income families, distribute meals, perform missionary work worldwide, and tutor and mentor school children through the Outreach Program.

Every service experience imparts important life lessons that build character and leadership. A graduate student at Walsh University, Gia Suman, affirmed, “The outreach program not only benefits the children that come through it, but it also enables us to get first-hand experiences on what it takes to teach children with such diverse backgrounds and learning levels. Field experiences like this also enable us to learn and grow as future educators.”

“The experience for our Walsh students is preparing them for the future, whether it is in education, ecclesial ministry or other relevant disciplines,” Msgr. Gaetano said. “The mission of Walsh is further realized not only through the engagement of faculty, staff and service requirements, but also in recognizing the mutuality of learning … all are learners of each other.”

While the Enrichment Outreach Partnership Program is clearly responding to an immediate need by investing time and talents into the future generations, perhaps its greatest gift is that of bringing the community together. “We gained awareness that each person participating and supporting the program is a stakeholder,” stated Msgr. Gaetano, “empowering one another in creating their place and their dream for a shared future.”

When I inquired about their funding, I received a chuckle. “We always laugh at this question because we’ve operated on very little funding,” explained DeFazio. “We operate on faith,” Msgr. Gaetano elaborated. “We like to say that when we put feet on faith, we then bring hope into the context of the ‘neighborhood.’”

And the neighborhood did respond: within recent months, the Enrichment Outreach Program received grants from three local foundations to hire staff members, fund field trips, organize transportation for students and purchase resource materials.

Welcome the stranger
The U.S. has recently witnessed a large influx of immigrants. The Census Bureau revealed that in 2007, immigrants constituted 12.6% of the total population, more than 38 million people.
As they did during the founding years of the country, immigrants today grapple with issues such as employment, health care and education, while government officials face enormous challenges in regulating policies.

“The call to welcome the stranger among us and to recognize the image of God in the face of the immigrant is non-negotiable,” affirmed Msgr. Lewis Gaetano. His outreach to the poor in his local community goes beyond the borders of country, nationality and culture, and finds deep inspiration in the words of Mexican theologian Raul Vidales: “The encounter with Christ in history passes by way of the oppressed, and there is no detour.”
— B. B.

For more information, contact Msgr. Lewis F. Gaetano: lgaetano@walsh.edu.

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