Another successful partnership that Say Yes enjoys is the one between its Cambridge Chapter and Lesley University. With a team comprised of Dr. Anne Larkin, Dr. José Ribeiro, and Barbara Ulm, the Cambridge Chapter has been in operation since 1990.

George Weiss first approached Lesley University (then known as Lesley College) to ask them to recommend an urban school community as a potential participant in the Say Yes program. He had four requirements: 1) the school had to be multicultural; 2) it had to serve a low-income community; 3) it had to be located in the inner-city; and 4) it had to serve kindergarten through eighth grade. Following the recommendation of Dr. Larkin, professor in the School of Education at Lesley, the Charles G. Harrington School in Cambridge was selected.

Key to the success of the partnership was building trust with the students and their families as well as with the school community. Dr. Ribeiro had worked for years as a clinical psychologist for the Cambridge Public Schools and was known and respected throughout the system. Through her active involvement
with faculty and staff, Dr. Larkin also became recognized as a trusted colleague at the school. With a teaching background, Barbara Ulm successfully fostered positive relationships with children and families and served as liaison between the organization and the university. “Letting the school community
know that we were there for all of them – not just the Say Yes children -- made a significant difference,” says Dr. Larkin.

Among other things, Dr. Larkin and Dr. Ribeiro worked directly with faculty on team teaching and curriculum planning, which became an integral part of the school culture and community. Say Yes provided money for materials, field trips, and teacher training. With the team-teaching approach, children from other grades gained equal access to resources and learning. Teachers also were free to utilize Lesley University’s library and computer labs.

Meeting the individual needs of Say Yes children was one of the program’s highest priorities, especially since over fifty percent were identified as having special needs. Dr. Ribeiro monitored all aspects of the children’s academic progress, meeting weekly with teachers, parents, and psychologists to consider the students’ needs. Before and after-school programs were critical to the success of students, as was Lesley’s summer program, Summer Compass, which gave Say Yes children an intensive six-week academic and enrichment program. Working under Dr. Ribeiro’s supervision, interns from the university regularly provided counseling and mentoring for Say Yes children.

Many of the Say Yes children from the Cambridge Chapter have grown into motivated young adults pursuing post-secondary educations. The Lesley partnership, which provided many years of support for students, families, faculty, and staff throughout their grade school years and beyond, helped to prepare students for a post-secondary education. Models of cooperation with other higher education institutions such as Dean College and St. Joseph’s College of Maine have complemented this preparation, as well.

The relationship between Say Yes to Education and St. Joseph’s began in the fall of 2000 when Barbara Ulm and the director of admissions at St. Joseph’s met and began to explore ways to offer the best possible opportunities for Say Yes students to earn a college degree. The coordinator initiated a similar conversation with the director of admissions at Dean College. In both instances, an agreement was reached in which Say Yes would cover the cost of tuition, fees, and books for Say Yes students, and the colleges would cover the cost of room and board.

The academic supports the students received and the nurturing environment they enjoyed contributed greatly to the success of the Say Yes students who attended these schools. To date, four young men have earned bachelor’s degrees from St. Joseph’s, and two have earned associates’ degrees from Dean. Both Dean students are currently in bachelor’s degree programs, one at St. Joseph’s and one at Daniel Webster College. Both are on track for receiving their bachelor’s degrees in 2007. Additionally, the Say Yes Cambridge Chapter has achieved impressive results, including the fact that over 90 percent of the students in the program have or will finish their high school education and over 64 percent will obtain a post-secondary degree or vocational certificate.

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