November 24-November 30, 2005                                                                                                               The New York Amsterdam News

EDUCATION TODAY

BELL provides much for Black and Latino students

By Linda Armstrong

     Special to the AmNews

Wanting to give back to others can lead to a wonderful, helpful idea.  That’s what spurred on a group of Black Harvard Law students in 1992 to begin BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life).  The organization works with Black and Latino students in grade K-6 in low income areas, giving them tutoring in reading, writing and math.

The average child in the program in 2.1 below grade level, but it’s open to everybody.  BELL  does target many of the lowest performing schools in the city.  It also has mentors for college-bound students, and the teachers in the program serve as mentors to the young students.  In addition to academics, BELL offers music, art, and drama.  It also teaches Black and Latino students about their history with the thought in mind that they can’t know where they are going if they don’t understand where they came from.

“We did it because we wanted to give back as others had done for us.  We realized that our very presence at law school was a combination of sacrifices by others.  We had the common belief that where much is given, much is expected.  And we thought that by doing it through education it was one of the most powerful ways that we could make a difference,” said Earl Martin Phalen one of BELL’s founders and CEO.

“BELL is an education program where you learn reading, writing, math, develop as leaders, and as people of character and integrity, people who understand how to treat others and understand the need to do for others.  We are making future leaders who will say, “I can do something in third grade, in high school, in college and then come back and do something to better my community,” Phalen explained.

BELL stared off with 15 volunteers at a local community center in Boston helping 20 children.  When the Harvard Law students graduated they decided to make the organization national and opened up in New York, with New York headquarters a 1 Fordham Plaza in the Bronx.  In 2000 the program was placed in Washington, DC, and in 2004 in Maryland.  BELL exists in numerous elementary schools in the New York City area, with four schools in Harlem, P.S. 115, 125, 192 and 36; four schools in Brooklyn; one school in Queens; and 15 schools in the Bronx.  BELL now has 700 staff

Members—50% are paid college and graduate students and 50% are certified teachers, and the program serves over 5,000 youth in New York.

General programming consists of an after school program that includes Saturday programming and a summer education program that offers field trips, guest speakers and community service projects in addition to its academic and artistic offerings.

BELL just received a national award for being one the top 25 nonprofits in the country that is changing the world—The Social Capitalist Award from Fast Company Magazine and the Monitor Group, a Consulting Group.

“Our plan is to go from 7,500 scholars to 25,000 scholars in five years in different regions,” Phalen remarked.

BELL’s key funders in New York City include the Charles Hayden Foundation, the Picower Foundation, the Tiger Foundation, the Robin Hood Foundation, the Starr Foundation, the Lone Pine Foundation, and the Louis Calder Foundation.

Parents can call to find out what schools in their neighborhood the program is in, and the schools can call to see about bringing the program to their school.  Contact BELL at 212-283-9930.

“Parents should ask the principal of their child’s school about getting BELL, and BELL will send information to the principal about all it has to offer,”  Phalen said.