The Woman, The Grant, The Program
Grand Rapids has had some exceptional women throughout its history, women who have created businesses, established nonprofits, and ministered to Grand Rapids' most needy citizens. But we know it has to be about the children and their educational opportunities and achievements. And yes, a number of Grand Rapids greatest educators have stepped up to the plate and produced some spectacular outcomes.
I had an opportunity to sit down with an educator who has worked privately in the field for 20 years but the program she created and orchestrated like a New York Metropolitan Maestro has surpassed all she has done thus far. I speak of Ms. April Harvey. April, having a full understanding of the "different" educational opportunities needed by the youth of the Greater Grand Rapids area applied for a grant from The Grand Rapids Community Foundation for local organizations serving the Black community called the Black Legacy Fund. Before Ms. Harvey could pursue her own application, she was told her business, Mosaic Masterminds, had been written into a request for an award by 15 Pearls and A Promise, an arm of Theta Chi Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. They received the grant.
Now, that was the easy part. How to create a Summer program in three month's time with all details in place was the challenge. Even though April has a number of Mastermind tutors in her regular business, the Summer program she would have to create on her own and then make sure she had the right Mastermind tutors to help her carry it out!
Mosaic Masterminds is already an international business with Ms. Harvey drawing teachers from countries in South America, Africa and the Caribbean to serve as virtual or in-person tutors for Grand Rapids students who needed help during the regular school year in math, grammar and Spanish. This would be different. This grant would allow the Summer scholars to be enmeshed in study areas where the stigma of the lack of comprehension among African American students was ongoing. This program was presented as a "Summer Enrichment and Fall Preparation" from June 14 through August 12.
Imagine having Mastermind tutors both in person and virtually with backgrounds and first spoken languages in Russia, Swahili, Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish. These tutors and the others who taught math, literacy were from Dover, Delaware, Aracibo, Puerto Rico, Nairobi, Kenya, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Grand Rapids, Michigan and Detroit, Michigan. Who can recruit such high caliber educators to tutor students in a Grand Rapids Summer program? April Harvey, that's who!
The students were recruited from Kentwood, Grand Rapids and Forest Hills public schools as well as Grand Rapids Christian schools, Jack and Jill Club and youth affiliated with Theta Chi Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
The twenty students selected in what was called "The Learning Camp" was made up of students going to grades 6, 7, and 8 in the Fall. All recruiting of students and tutors was done by Ms. Harvey. No, she was not trying to be a superwoman; she simply had to meet a deadline and believed it would be easier to make all contacts and finalize all commitments herself.
The students could choose from the Math offerings, Literacy( vocabulary, writing techniques, reading comprehension) and the different languages mentioned above. Some students, or scholars as Ms. Harvey refers to them, could be involved in several classes. They could meet virtually or in person at a local library or bookstore.
Orientation for the program including parents, scholars, tutors (in person or virtually) and members of 15 Pearls and A Promise, was held at Business Exchange.
Imagine a program of this caliber with Mastermind April Harvey continuing her leadership and extending it to 50 or more students every Summer. What a scholarly community we would see unfolding in our midst. It can be done because I know Ms. April Harvey is not finished. She is a true educator with insights far beyond what most can foresee. She could be making an application for grant number two for 2024 right now. Thank you, Ms. Harvey.
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