| "Those three weeks changed my life!" says Amy Estersohn [Intermediate Student '94] of her summer of Exploration on the campus of Wellesley College. "Explo was a chance for me to be comfortable loving learning."
Years later, Amy followed her love of learning to the University of Chicago, where she became involved in Splash!, a program geared toward low-income high school students on the South Side of Chicago. One Saturday each fall, students from 25 high schools around Chicago gather at UChicago to take short classes they feel passionate about and that deviate from standard curriculum. What makes the Chicago Splash! program unique is that courses and lunch are provided free of charge.
"It's meaningful to provide a stellar enrichment program for a under-resourced, under-served population," she says.
From a course that explores primate and animal behavior to another that delves into the history and culture of pirates, Splash! opens ups students eyes to the idea that learning can be fun.
"I'm so on board with the educational philosophy of helping students learn to love learning," says Amy.
As a member of Learning Unlimited, Amy and the Chicago Splash! program are part of a national organization that offers similar programs on the campuses of MIT, Stanford, Duke, and Northwestern. While the majority of volunteer teachers are undergraduate college students, the program also draws alums from various fields—some have their PhDs, while others work in finance or computer science.
At the program, Amy has taught courses in cult movements and journalism. Today, she serves as an administrator focused on student outreach.
"For me," says Amy, "Explo got the ball rolling." |
