One Man’s Mission: Support Struggling Students

Education World spoke with Samuel Cephas, founder, CEO and president of MC², to learn about best practices for ensuring the success of higher-risk students.

Those kids. You know the ones—not quite forgotten, but not really noticed. The ones who slip (or are pushed) through the academic cracks and then thrown into the world unprepared or underprepared.

MC² Technology, Inc. is a Connecticut-based nonprofit dedicated to providing a place for those kids. The organization gives struggling students ages 15-19 a place for academic salvation and life-changing inspiration during after-school hours and on Saturdays.

The program serves students who haven’t realized their full potential; typically they are academically failing or have average grades and behavior problems. Many also have difficulties in their personal lives.

“A lot of schools in the education system, whether it’s wrong or right, these teachers push kids along. Where’s the accountability?” asked Cephas, pictured above.

Born in the South Bronx, he moved with his family to Connecticut in the 1970s. Cephas founded MC² as part of a promise to his mother Myrtle, who witnessed the struggles of inner-city kids and asked him to help them get their educations. This was shortly before her death in 1998.

“I had to figure out exactly how to teach inner-city kids…I didn’t really know,” he said.

He began under the guidance of Pastor Wadie Lanier, who helped him set up shop at the New Temple of God in the north end of Hartford, Connecticut’s capital city.

“That area of Hartford is one of the worst areas in what’s likely the worst part of the city crime-wise,” he explained.

It took Cephas about four years to figure out a system. It started with helping to provide technology training for struggling students in grades 5-7. The program later shifted to serve grades 9-12, seeing a greater need for support there. This age group has been the program’s focus since 2006.

MC² has distributed food to the families of participating children, along with clothing, backpacks and other supplies that parents couldn’t afford. The church helped by preparing dinner for the kids. The program also took students on educational outings including trips to a variety of New York City museums and the docks in Newport, Rhode Island.

Pastor Lanier passed away in 2011, upon which the MC² board of directors shifted focus to the areas surrounding Hartford. The program moved to nearby Manchester, Connecticut and changed its name to the Four Walls Project, keeping MC² as the organization’s title.

Since then, the program has been able to serve some of Connecticut’s tougher areas with the help of community and educational institutions including the University of Connecticut, Eastern Connecticut State University and Manchester Community College.

Serving anywhere from 15-30 kids, MC² works with students in a 1:2, and sometimes 1:1, tutoring ratio. The tutors are students from area colleges who also serve as role models. Tutors are knowledgeable in “core subjects” and liberal arts, as well as specialty areas such as financial literacy and the environment.

Graduation requirements—math and science skills as well as sections of NETS for communication and liberal arts—are a major focus. Summer programs also offer tutoring and support.

Students can get internships in area businesses or state and local governments, and they can also earn pre-college certificates. With various online courses, the program also strives to help students keep up with technology advancements.

If students earn their high school diplomas, they’ re eligible for grants and scholarships for two- and four-year degrees from Connecticut’s various state colleges and professional training sites.

“Some of the kids even went on to grad school. One of my last kids right now is going to law school,” Cephas said.

He doesn’t subscribe to any one learning style, saying that in football, one needs many plays in his playbook. Cephas recalled several program mentors who used non-traditional approaches, including one who turned a complex algebraic formula into a rap song for a football star who was failing the course at Hartford’s Weaver High School. That student later graduated from Johnson & Wales.

“Once you find something that a kid likes, and you can show them [the right approach], they’re hooked,” he explained.

He added that 226 (80%) of the 283 kids served by MC² have been successful.

The program’s ultimate goal is to consist of five divisions that will offer course assistance (New Educational Tutorial Scholastics Institute, Inc.), mentoring and special curriculum development (MC² Academics), job training (MC² Internships), support for special talents, such as in the arts (NETS, Inc.) and scholarships (MC² Philanthropics).

Since 2012, Cephas has hosted an online AccessTV.org interview show called Education ONE. The program features education reporters, politicians, school board members and educators, among others.

Article by Jason Papallo, Education World Social Media Editor
Education World®          
Copyright © 2013, 2015 Education World