Stopping Failure Before It Begins

The five programs described below have opened doors of opportunity to children, teachers and parents.

1. Teaching that Reaches All Children:
The Ennis William Cosby Graduate Certificate Program at Fordham University

This critically acclaimed program targets K-2 public school teachers who are committed to working in New York City's neediest schools and equips them to identify, teach and reach "at risk" children before they fall hopelessly behind their classmates. Many Cosby Scholars are becoming leaders in their schools, providing professional development for other teachers in the methods that are effective in addressing the diverse learning needs of children. The Foundation has received numerous inquiries from other city school systems around the nation that are anxious to implement a Cosby Scholars program. Hello Friend seeks support to implement this program in additional cities and create innovative high impact teaching initiatives for instructors at other grade levels.

2. Schools and Families Together:  Hello Friend Planners

What’s Up is an assignment notebook, calendar, daily planner, skills development program, information resource and home-school communication system all rolled in to one. It was designed by Carolyn Olivier, Hello Friend’s education director, to help students to develop the learning, organizational, and study skills necessary for success in high school and beyond. Thousands of young students from New York City to Los Angeles have used these planners with great success. It is a primary example of the Foundation’s belief that high impact solutions can be both simple and inexpensive.

3. Fulfilling The Promise: Schools That Teach and Reach All Students

Hello Friend works intensively with a small number elementary, middle and high schools that wish to address the diverse learning needs of all students, including those at-risk for learning difficulty. This program examines how schools can review, revise and redesign their academic curriculum; guidelines and requirements; course structure; professional development; and teaching practices with the goal of becoming the kind of school that reaches all students, including those that struggle with learning. Hello Friend is exploring other partnerships to insure that this model can be shared with schools that have a similar commitment to addressing the needs and cultivating the capabilities of all students.

4. Understanding Learning Differences
Ennis’ Gift: A Film About Learning Differences

"Ennis' Gift: A Film About Learning Differences" continues to be an in-demand home video used by educators and parents to promote greater understanding and positive approaches towards children who learn differently. The film has been broadcast on HBO and public television stations around the country and is used regularly in professional development seminars and college coursework. Click here to watch a video clip from the film.

5. Access to Reading
Hello Friend Classroom Libraries

Hello Friend has distributed more than a million books, collated into classroom libraries, to over 8,000 under-resourced classrooms in over 500 cities, at no charge to teachers or schools. The books have been generously donated by Scholastic Book Clubs, sorted and collated by a small army of volunteers, and sent to needy schools throughout the country. Each library consists of approximately 100 books and is valued between $800-1000. This program continues to provide “take home” reading for children who do not have access to books in the home; to help them share in the excitement of learning; and to instill a love of reading in young students. In addition, the program has developed strong ties for Hello Friend with educators across the country and created a demand for additional resources.

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