Academics
The Peter Westbrook Foundation has invested our resources in academic enhancement for our students because education has always been important to us. Many of our staff and coaches have either attended prestigious universities and/or have advanced degrees and we show our students by example that not only is higher education important for anything they wish to do in life, but that it is attainable.
Our tutoring program is remarkably effective. We arrange the tutoring sessions to be near a student’s home to avoid hardships for the parents. The tutors are highly qualified and are constantly in touch with the coaches. Finally, we have a highly organized tracking system so that we can keep close tabs on all the students in our program.
Our tutoring program is so rigorous that we have gained a solid reputation within the academic world. Many colleges and universities across the country come to the Foundation to recruit our students. For someone motivated and ambitious like Kamara, there is no limit to what can be accomplished.
Essay Contest
The Foundation also sponsors a bi-monthly essay contest, open to all participants, which complements the fencing program. The essay contest awards prizes to the top four winners and encourages students to enhance their reading, writing, and communication skills.
Academic Enrichment Program
The PWF Tutoring Program is the pillar of our educational initiatives. Offered to all participants in the Peter Westbrook Foundation, over 600 students have received assistance in our highly effective program. Current enrollment averages 65 kids attending regular tutoring session.
We employ experienced tutors with backgrounds that range from university and graduate students to teachers and trained educators.
Each tutor provides participants with homework assistance in English, Math, or Science, as well as mentoring guidance.
Presently, the program continues to grow both in the number of students participating and the level of engagement by all parties involved in the process. For example, the number of participants in the Foundation that have taken advantage of the tutoring program has grown from less than 12 six years ago; the number of tutors has also grown from 6 to over 20 on average.
The Foundation’s ongoing goals for the Academic Enrichment Program include the following:
- Expand and/or strengthen our relationships with private high schools, colleges and universities that see the Peter Westbrook Foundation as a resource for identifying and recruiting talented and motivated students.
- Create new initiatives within the program that enhance student learning in areas such as computer skills, math and science and career planning.
- Recruit individual, business and corporate sponsors who understand the value of investing in programs with a documented track record of academic success.
- Develop corporate and non-profit partnerships that enhance the learning experience of our students while cost-effectively utilizing available resources.
ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS
As a result of the overall programs, our students have excelled both athletically and academically. The success of our student athletes has garnered a number of academic and athletic scholarship opportunities at exceptional primary and collegiate institutions. A few of the institutions that the Foundation has been able to help secure scholarships for its athletes include the following:
PRIVATE SCHOOLS
The Dwight School
Ethical Culture Fieldston School
The Lawrenceville School
St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s School
York Academy
Riverdale Country Day School
UNIVERSITIES
Barnard
Columbia
Duke
Lehman
Northwestern
NYU
Ohio State
Penn State
Princeton
Rutgers
St. John’s
Sacred Heart
Temple
Guest Speakers
Throughout the year, the Foundation is active in bringing in guest speakers. Past speakers have included ministers, politicians, writers, doctors, lawyers, judges, NFL/WNBA players, and well known actors. In choosing the speakers, the organization often seeks out inspirational individuals with similar backgrounds as of the participants in our program. These lectures inspire our participants to succeed and expose them to career opportunities that are possible as a result of a college education and a strong work ethic.
