| Jane & Robert Toll |
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Say Yes’s success would not be possible without the generous support of individuals in the community, people such as Robert I. Toll and his wife, Jane, who approached Mr. Weiss about becoming sponsors in the Say Yes program back in 1990 (Mr. Toll is chairman and chief executive officer of Toll Bros. Inc., the construction company that builds luxury homes and condominiums). The Tolls had long been interested in supporting programs that helped underprivileged kids. But they were put off by the fact that there seemed to be no support system in these programs. “It was just you and the kids – there was no other back up,” recalls Mrs. Toll, a former teacher who worked in public elementary schools and in private schools for emotionally disturbed adolescents for many years. So when somebody told them about a new program started by George Weiss called “Say Yes to Education,” the Tolls were immediately interested. The Tolls liked the fact that with Say Yes, they could remain anonymous if they chose. They also liked the fact that there was a back-up support system, for example, the university partnerships that Say Yes created so that other institutions and their staff were also invested in the students’ success. Finally, they were attracted by the fact that Say Yes allowed them to devote as much -- or as little -- time as they wanted to the organization. The freedom to choose their level of involvement was, in fact, one of the deciding factors in the Tolls’ involvement. The Tolls ended up sponsoring two classes of third graders (totaling 58 students) at Harrity Elementary School in West Philadelphia. They were impressed both with the school, and with the fact that the Harrity principal had good ideas on how to best integrate the Say Yes students and the Say Yes curriculum into the school. The Tolls also were partial to choosing a school in Philadelphia because Mr. Toll was born in the area (Mrs. Toll grew up in Long Island, but both the Tolls attended the University of Pennsylvania, which eventually provided key leadership to the Toll Say Yes program.) Today, 16 years after the Tolls first promised to “Say Yes” to the education of the third graders, it is clear that they have opted for hands-on involvement with the group that Mrs. Tolls calls “our kids.” “When we first started, I promised to devote one day a week to the third graders,” recalled Mrs. Toll, who has five children of her own. “But before you know it, we got sucked in. Maybe it was our personalities, but as we got to know these children, we got more involved. That said, it’s important for people to realize you can do as much or as little as you want – you can meet with the coordinators, or you can just foot the bills. It’s entirely up to you.” For the Tolls, growing close to their Say Yes students has been as enriching for their family as it has been for the kids. They took one group of Say Yes kids on a three-week trip through the American West. “We went to Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah,” recalls Mrs. Toll. “We wanted them to see that there was a world outside of Philadelphia. Many of these kids had never been on a plane. We stayed in a Boy Scout camp and I remember that the only place to sit was outside on the grass. The kids – real city kids, mind you – wouldn’t sit on the grass. They thought it was disgusting! We took my youngest child, a ninth-grader at the time, and two of his friends on the trip as well. It was an eye-opening experience for all of us.” There also has been a ripple effect into the rest of the students’ lives. For example, two of the Say Yes kids now work in Mr. Toll’s company. Mrs. Toll is still in touch with many of the former Say Yes students, some of whom call her regularly for guidance and advice. Equally important, in the Say Yes Toll group, whose students graduated high school in 2000, 85% ended up graduating from high school, and 65% of those who graduated from high school have gone on to pursue higher education, with many attending universities and colleges throughout the country, including Drexel University, Northeastern University, George Washington University, Hampton University, Seton Hall University, Temple University, Delaware State University, Wesley College, Bethune-Cookman College, Eastern College and Community College of Philadelphia. “This is a feel-good investment,” says Mrs. Toll. “What’s so rewarding is you can see that you really can make a difference.” |
