Welcome back to Winter Study as well as to “Spring” semester! We are so excited to continue with our programs during this semester and to further extend volunteer opportunities!
Programs this academic year:
- Science Fellows – teach young students science and the love for learning. We have second grade and fourth grade Science Fellows.
- Classroom Support/Helpers – College students assisting in teaching small groups in ELA/math/social studies. Opportunities in younger grades and older elementary grades.
- EphVentures with NAPS (Volunteer program) working with athletic teams, dance organizations, students who have interesting and fun hobbies who want to teach and share with older elementary school students. These volunteer activities are great for the afterschool programs during the hours of 3-5pm and any day of the week.
- Elementary School Science/Social Studies Floater for Special Activities (Volunteer program) – This is a pilot program starting spring semester ’25. Students are enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers to assist elementary school teachers with science and/or social studies instruction on an as-needed basis for special projects and activities such as field trips, science experiments requiring more hands-on engagement, social studies lessons where college students can enhance the learning experience.
- NAPS Reads (Registered Student Organization) – Students volunteer to go into younger grades in Brayton Elementary School during library time to read and do activities with the students. Please contact Emily Villegas, Maya Goldstein, and/or Vanya Funez if you are interested and to learn more about the program. This program has not kicked off 2024-2025 year, we are hoping to be shift this program to fit the new needs of the district.
- Afterschool Programs are run through the 21st Century Afterschool Program and headed by Annie Pecor. College students may participate in these programs such as a Puzzle-Making and Comics, Journal Club, Robotics Team, etc. through following the North Adams Application Process. Students are welcome to reach out to Amy Sosne to be directed to the appropriate channels.
- Partnering with other campus student organizations, such as Lehman Community Council, and the JRC to bring fun programs and activities to the elementary schools.
Contact Amy Sosne, Assistant Director for Williams Elementary Outreach in North Adams
Please click on the “collaborations” link below to learn more about these programs.
Current News:
2024-2025 TIDE Grant Awarded: Title of Project: Accessible STEM LAB COLLAB initiative; a program connecting underprivileged elementary students with first generation and/or underrepresented minority Williams College Students to innovate, create, and work towards the future
Please email Amy Sosne if interested in participating! This program/grant is funded in the hope to create a sustainable and enriching program for Williams College Students as well as Underprivileged students from local schools through community connection, collaboration, engagement, and learning.
Through joint collaboration with Williams College Students, the Berkshire Innovation Center, and 21st Century Programming, as well as the North Adams Elementary Schools, STEM opportunities will be brought into the schools through afterschool programming and eventually through field trips, pending district approval.
History of the North Adams/Williams College Partnership
In partnership with the North Adams Public Schools (NAPS), Williams Elementary Outreach supports collaborations between Williams College students, staff, faculty, and NAPS students and teachers that enrich the lives and learning of all participating.
Williams College in the past has partnered with Brayton Elementary School and Greylock Elementary Schools to provide Science Fellow programming, Classroom Support, and various different volunteer programs that evolved over the course of several years such as the Buddy program, EphVentures with NAPS, and NAPS Reads.
The 2024-2025 year is a transition year for the District as well as for the Williams College Collaborative Partnerships. The North Adams School District merged three elementary schools; Colegrove, Greylock, and Brayton Elementary Schools into two elementary schools divided by grade level. Brayton Elementary School is now home to 300+ prek-2nd grade students and Colegrove is home to 300+ 3rd-6th grade students. Williams has been honored to continue to work with North Adams through this transition and to continue to evolve programming to reflect the needs of the community and district. We are excited to start this new chapter working with Colegrove and Brayton Elementary Schools as well as having some opportunities and involvement in the 21st Century Afterschool Program, which is a grant awarded to NAPS.
Williams students have engaged and will continue to engage in a diverse range of programs at Brayton and Colegrove Schools (K-6) through paid positions, volunteer opportunities, and projects related to academic coursework.
It has been a tradition that the NAPS student leaders are constantly working on creating and funding new programs as well as applying for grant funding to work on projects dedicated to increasing awareness of unconscious bias, diversity, equity, and inclusion within the community and educational institutions. In the past students, in conjunction with the North Adams Program Leader/Assistant Director, have worked on TIDE grants that have facilitated literacy awareness, and DEI awareness through funding speakers, curating a booklist and providing a collection of books to the libraries, and continued to work at local elementary and high schools.
Through all of our programs, the NAPS leaders, fellows, volunteers, and advisors are dedicated to promoting awareness and discussion on diversity, equity, and inclusion.