Center for Learning in Action partnership with Lanesborough Elementary School
Annual Report 2024-2025
The Lanesborough Elementary School partnership with Williams is in its tenth year. There were 36 Williams students engaging with Lanesborough students this year. Academic connections continued with 2 Williams students performing research under the guidance of a Williams professor. Lanesborough Fellows and After School Tutoring paid programs launched in spring 2022. 17 Williams students worked 357.5 hours, focusing on bilingual support and after-school tutoring. Additionally, Lanesborough Elementary students visited Williams at Hopkins Forest, the Milham Planetarium and the Williams College Museum of Art. The Zilkha Environmental Center was a new collaboration this year with interns visiting LES classrooms to share information and do an activity. A successful partnership year with lots of collaborations!
Stats:
- 36 Williams students engaged at Lanesborough Elementary in 2024-2025
- 12 Williams students academic fieldwork (10 with CLIA 11, 2 with Eliza Congdon)
- 3 Williams students volunteered with Cultural Kaleidoscope
- 4 Williams Zilkha Environmental Center interns gave presentations
- 17 Williams students served in paid positions
- Fall: 1 Student Leader, 8 Fellows (1 bilingual support, 1 Classroom Helper, 6 After-School Tutors)
- Spring: 1 Student Leader, 13 Fellows (1 bilingual support, 11 After-School Tutors, 1 classroom helper
- 3 field trips to the Williams campus (Hopkins Forest, Williams College Museum of Art, Milham Planetarium)
- 230 elementary students served
- 25 applicants (17 fall, 8 spring)
- 357.5 hours worked
Testimonials:
I love getting to spend time in classrooms, it cheers me up!. – Manuela Sanchez-Decotto 2026
Working at LES is actually the highlight of my week and I look forward to working there! It motivates me to get through the week! I genuinely connected with the students and it brought me so much joy. Mr. Solak (art teacher) mentioned that one of the students felt more confident in her artwork because I helped her and that made me so happy! I am so excited to keep working at LES! – Sophia Nogueira 2027
It improves my mood and wellbeing to be around the joyful, bubbly students. It’s very therapeutic to work with the wonderful students; they are all very intelligent and full of life. I love to see the “Aha!” moments, which make their eyes sparkle! -Lesedi Chirikuutsi 2028
Working as an after-school tutor at Lanesborough Elementary has had a meaningful impact on my wellbeing. Supporting students and watching their confidence grow brings a strong sense of purpose and fulfillment to my day. It gives me the opportunity to step outside of my own academic or personal stress and focus on helping someone else succeed. The relationships I’ve built with the students and staff also provide a sense of connection and community, which has been incredibly grounding. Overall, the experience reinforces my patience, empathy, and communication skills–all of which positively contribute to my mental and emotional wellbeing. -Sarah Sousa 2028
Successes:
- Bilingual support: Williams students supported the Spanish-speaking students in Grades 5 and 6.
- General classroom support was provided for library/media for fall and Ms. Wagner’s Grade 5 in spring.
- After School Tutoring ran every Tuesday from September 24 to May 13. Six Williams students were hired for fall and at least 3 showed up each week on a regular basis. Nine Williams students were hired for spring and 4-5 showed up each week on a regular basis. Elementary attendance ranged from 6 to 17 students each week, averaging about 12 in attendance. Grade 4-6 teachers were supportive and appreciative of the program. Robert Bradley, Grade 6, served as the LES staff coordinator. Andrea Rotter, Grade 6, stepped in to substitute and serve as backup for Robert Bradley.
- Eliza Congdon and two Williams students pursued CALF lab research projects over the course of the year with Grade 2 teachers, Erin Jennings & Sheila Guercio, and Grade 3 teachers Jen Szymanski & Dirce Giumarra.
- Over Winter Study, CLiA 11 BioEYES again brought ten Williams students and zebrafish to Grade 3. Hancock Elementary School Grade 3 students joined the program. CLiA 11 also received additional campus-based support from Professor Martha Marvin’s three research lab assistants.
- Grade 2 came to campus to experience a WCMA program hosted by Rachel Heisler. Students also saw a planetarium show presented by Jordanne Brazie ‘25, arranged by Professor Kevin Flaherty.
- There were 2 Field trips to Hopkins Forest: Grade 5 studied Ecosystems & Food webs; Grade Kindergarten studied Comparative Habitats & Life Forms.
- Cultural Kaleidoscope had two in-person presentations this school year. Kare Mayurathan, German language TA, presented on Germany and Fairy Tales. Laura Sullivan and Alice Walker from the Rince Irish Step Dance club did a presentation and taught the audience members simple dance steps.
- Fiona Zheng, Zilka Environmental Center Community Engagement and Outreach Intern, helped facilitate three programs at LES. Grades 2 and kindergarten students learned about recycling and participated in a collage activity. Grade 1 learned about growing plants, created newspaper pots, and planted three seeds to take home and watch grow.
- The Culture and Climate Collaboration group continued work in Lanesborough to ensure a climate and culture of empathy, accountability, and belonging for each student. Williams support for this initiative will be provided as appropriate.
- Fellows and Tutors had driver’s licenses and were willing to drive others from campus to LES. Some ride coordination between Williams, MGRHS, NAPS, and LES was possible with hired drivers.
- STEM WEEK planetarium show on Oct. 21, 2024 was presented by Jordanne Brazie ‘25. Several Lanesborough ES families attended.
