OUR 'HIDDEN' ACHIEVEMENTS

Skills That Last A Lifetime

Nothing was more rewarding to me as a teacher than seeing a student realize their worth as a person, gaining self-confidence and acquiring a greater interest in learning.

I often witness this growth with our Root 2 Rise Tutor-Mentors. Students are able to discover their worth, find their confidence and deepen their interest in learning – all in a natural setting in local schools that are part of the fabric of their daily lives. 

Root 2 Rise also creates a web of authentic, therapeutic support, a social network that’s now recognized as a potent buffer against adversity, one that’s instrumental in fostering resilience.

It is needed now more than ever.

Youth today are inundated with messages about the need to succeed, usually defined solely in terms of income, power, or prestige. Seldom do they hear that compassion and tolerance are equally – and perhaps more – important. 

And these are precisely the “hidden” values fostered by Root 2 Rise: compassion and tolerance flourish when younger students see themselves in Tutor-Mentors, and vice versa. 

Root 2 Rise offers this marvelous opportunity in every classroom. Our program promotes values that anchor a rounded education that will continue to bear fruit long after high school.

I am deeply appreciative of the teachers, support staff, administrators, and donors who make this experience possible. 

Thank You!

Denise Hanson

Founder and Executive Director

Tutor-Mentor Dixie Bah

We Need Your Support: Transforming Classrooms and Lives

We need your support more than ever. 

We were fortunate in 2022 to receive a substantial grant from the Equitable Recovery Program through the American Rescue Plan Act.

The grants available to small nonprofits are difficult to obtain, so we must rely on donors and our partners in education to provide more support.

There are numerous reasons to support Root 2 Rise, but the most compelling is that it works. It strengthens students’ self-confidence and belief in education. 

The stipend of $750 we provide Tutor-Mentors is seldom, if ever, the main benefit Tutor-Mentors say they derive from Root 2 Rise, but it confirms that service to others brings tangible rewards. The support our staff provides school districts is essential to the success of Root 2 Rise.

But we can’t do this without you. Please ensure that we can continue to bring this remarkable program to schools.

Know a civic group that’s interested in learning more about Root 2 Rise? Please contact us to schedule a presentation.

A PROCLIVITY TO HELP

Devail Washington is wired to do well – and good.

He may become an electrician, but his avocation – helping others – is equally as important to him.

It’s an unusual combination of goals for an 18-year-old, but there’s much about his life that doesn’t fit any mold.

His childhood was often “rough” – separation from his mother, placement in foster care, and stints of homelessness – but he found stability under the care of his grandmother, with caring guidance from his father, even while his father was incarcerated for 15 years.

He’s a gifted athlete  – on basketball, football, and baseball teams in high school.

His high school counselor Craig Smith thought Washington would work well with younger students in Root 2 Rise. Raised in a family with 10 children, Washington agreed. 

It turned out even better than he had anticipated.  

“Students felt more at ease when I was there, and they were more focused on their work,” he said. 

“Kids brightened up on days when I was there. Everyone felt welcome.”

The inclusiveness reflects Washington’s white, Black, and Native American (Cherokee) heritage.

Washington helped the same students for two semesters. “Mr. D.” (as students called him) also learned from younger students, particularly about math.

Washington said Root 2 Rise was the main reason he kept attending high school. 

He used the stipend from Root 2 Rise to get his own apartment and now works 40 hours a week at Wal-Mart. While attending Madison College to become an electrician or learn another trade, Washington wants to become a motivational speaker and be an example to kids dealing with adversity. He encourages his brother to participate in Root 2 Rise next year.

His family has lived in Sun Prairie – ”a chill, quiet, small, peaceful” community, he said - for seven years. 

Washington's optimism runs deep, a fitting trait for someone who uses adversity as an incentive to help others.

ANOTHER AWESOME YEAR

Tutor-Mentors say they worked with "amazing" and "really smart" students.

Tutor-Mentor Bryanna Lloyd and Partner Teacher Teagan Fleiner-Etheridge with the students in her class at Meadow View Elementary School.

Eight years after founding Root 2 Rise, Denise Hanson said she’s still “in awe” of the talents of Tutor-Mentors and what they bring to the classroom.

The feeling is mutual, as indicated by the comments of teachers and students who spoke at the Tutor-Mentor recognition event held May 30 at Prairie Lanes in Sun Prairie.
Tutor-Mentor Isaac Assaba said he no longer harbors any doubts about his skills with kids.

“They look up to me and give me nothing but love,” he said. “I’ll keep that with me forever,” as well as the positive changes Root 2 Rise fostered in his own life.

”These were amazing children. They changed my life,” said Josmary Cruz.

Tutor-Mentor Alyisha Moore and the kindergarten students she assists at Meadow View Elementary School in Sun Prairie. Photo: Sun Prairie School District

Root 2 Rise “was a big commitment, but if if I can’t be committed to something, I won’t be able to make it,” said Alyisha Moore. “I love those kids.”

Tutor-Mentors and younger students “grew in the progrm together. It’s been wonderful. The younger students care so much about you,” said Partner-Teacher Teagan Fleiner-Etheridge.

Partner-Teacher Gina Aiello said Ethan Xiong “became the cornerstone of the classroom, connecting with students reluctant to reach out to anyone else.

“You changed their lives. They will remember Mr. Ethan forever, just like I will,” she said.

Root 2 Rise helps Tutor-Mentors "see who they can be right now, as someone who can inspire other people. It was amazing to see the growth," said Dacia Giordana, Root 2 Rise coordinator for Sun Prairie.

Former participants said Root 2 Rise changed the trajectory of their lives. 

Martina Sancristobal said Root 2 Rise encouraged her to view life “as an exciting adventure,” one that may lead her to become a teacher so she can help younger students avoid the isolation and despair she sometimes felt as a Spanish-speaking student with little access to appropriate help.

Cquemiah Clark-Richmond, who has worked as a Special Education Assistant for four years, said Root 2 Rise led her to pursue a career in education. 

Partner-Teacher Gina Aiello and Tutor-Mentor Ethan Xiong.

A teacher? Officially, no. Unofficially, for sure.

Ethan Xiong, 18, is officially a Tutor-Mentor, but to the kindergartners he helped - and to Gina Aiello, the teacher he assisted - he’s a “great teacher.”

Xiong, who viewed himself as “just another student” when he started Root 2 Rise, was surprised by how quickly he enjoyed his teaching role, and is now considering a teaching career.

Aiello, who has taught kindergarten for 22 years, said she was initially nervous about working with a Tutor-Mentor, but said it was “a happy surprise” to see how quickly young students related to him, becoming more attentive and seeking his help, especially students who had experienced difficult life situations.

“He made kids belong and created a safe, safe place for them,” she said. “Ethan is an amazing young adult. I know he will do great things. I’ve had student teachers from college before, but Ethan took things to a different level,” she said.

Would she welcome other Tutor-Mentors to her classroom?

“ Yes, yes, yes!” Aiello said.

Root 2 Rise completed its third summer program with Madison West High School students serving as Tutor-Mentors at One City Schools. First row: (from left) Kelsey Dickens, Executive Director Denise Hanson, Andrew Cassiday.

Second row: Lucia Reina De Jesus, Annabelle Sandrock, Camila Cruz, VictoriaReyes.

Third row: Erik Yael Cruz, K'Shawn Neal, Derreon Turner, Evan Sanchez, and Coordinator Joseph Thigpen Jr.

PARTNERSHIP WITH ONE CITY SCHOOLs

Sixteen Tutor-Mentors from Madison West High School served in K-5 classrooms at One City Schools.

Cassidy Morillo (left) and Daisy Jiminez.

Daisy Jiminez (right) with a young student she helps.

MUTUAL RESPECT

Tutor-Mentors develop a deep respect for and appreciation of education and teachers, as is evident in extracts from an email (above) that Tutor-Mentor Daisy Jimenez sent to Partner Teacher Ms. Cassidy Morillo at the end of the academic year (below)..