Scholarship Helps Student Dare to Dream

On Thursday I had the pleasure of attending an awards ceremony of the Dare to Dream Scholarship established by Children’s Aid board member Jan Correa.  Jan is a founder of Brainstorm USA, a creator of educational software and videos.  Unlike many scholarships, Dare to Dream is not given to the student with the highest grades or the highest test scores.  Instead, the $5,000 scholarship, which is awarded every three months, is given to students based on their ability to dream about the future.

I met the most recent winner, Jonathan P., at Thursday morning’s ceremony.  A freshman at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Jonathan was a student in the Fred Dolan Art Academy at TAPCo, a Children’s Aid Community School in the Bronx.  As I walked through the building on my way to the auditorium, I was blown away by the creativity of TAPCo’s students as expressed in the artwork and sculpture that graced the halls.  Even then, I wasn’t quite prepared for the beauty and mastery I found in Jonathan’s watercolors.

Award-winning illustrator Neil Waldman, the founder of the Fred Dolan Academy, spoke about Jonathan’s discipline and creativity.  He told a story about how Jonathan, although gifted in pencils and similar media, struggled with watercolors.  After a few weeks, as he watched Jonathan grow frustrated, Neil told Jonathan that he did not have to continue with watercolors. After all, not every artist masters every medium.  But Jonathan refused to give up.  Neil asked why, given how hard watercolors were for him.  Jonathan responded: “I want to continue because it’s hard.”  Eventually, Jonathan did master watercolors.  And when he eventually presented a portfolio of work for admission to FIT, the faculty evaluating the portfolio told Neil that Jonathan’s watercolors were professional quality and among the best student work he had ever seen.

Education reformers are correctly focused on closing the achievement gap between white and black, and rich and poor, students.  Unfortunately, many reform efforts have been focused exclusively on reading and mathematics skills as measured by standardized tests.  Achievement plainly matters, and we must commit ourselves to ensuring that our students achieve excellence in these and other critical skills.  But at The Children’s Aid Society’s Community Schools, we know that a student’s achievement cannot be measured by test scores alone.  The arts offer profound opportunities not only for self expression, but for students to develop the discipline and focus required to gain mastery.  Not every student will become as gifted an artist as Jonathan, but every student should have the opportunity to grow and learn through the arts.  That’s what I want for my children.  And that is what every child deserves.

I will be framing one of Jonathan’s watercolors for display at 105 East 22nd Street.  Congratulations to Neil, Jonathan, and the staff of TAPCo.

Richard R. Buery, Jr.

President and Chief Executive Officer

The Children's Aid Society