‘YOU MATTER’
ECU teaching alumni travel to Dominican Republic
Two words – you matter – inspired 11 East Carolina University College of Education alumni to take the message of love and encouragement they helped cultivate at Eastern Elementary School in Greenville to children in the Dominican Republic.
The teachers recently returned from a five-day trip to the Caribbean country where they donated clothing and food, taught, played games and met with residents.
“It’s phenomenal,” former principal Cathy Kirkland said about the campaign she started going to another country. “It’s beyond anything I thought a few words could bring about.”
Two years ago the You Matter campaign began at Eastern, a kindergarten through fifth-grade school, as a way to encourage students to take ownership in making the school and their lives successful.
“Things have changed so much in education. Now we not only focus on academics but on social interactions and building character so they can be successful inside and outside the classroom,” said Kirkland ’90 ’04, who was principal of Eastern for five years and will lead Wintergreen Primary and Intermediate this fall.
Eastern Elementary is nestled in a residential area of homes, townhouses and apartments just minutes from ECU. The school serves more than 600 students from all walks of life and exceeds the state average for the number of children living in low income households. Despite the challenges, it is filled with teachers and staff who say they feel called to work there because they want to make a difference in the lives of students.
“I have a passion for working with students in lower income areas,” said Michelle Money, a kindergarten teacher who hugs her students every afternoon as they head out to the buses or parent pick-up line.
Many of the teachers and staff at Eastern are ECU alumni, including 11 of the 14-member team who traveled to the Dominican Republic from June 23-27. Walk into any classroom and you may see a student holding up the pirate hook symbol as a silent request for a bathroom break or a bright purple, ECU-themed rocking chair.
Inspiration takes root
Jami Dickerson ’09, a fifth-grade teacher who played on the ECU soccer team, made her first trip to the Dominican Republic as an undergraduate student. She thought taking the You Matter campaign abroad with her new teammates, the teachers at Eastern, would be a great experience.
Michelle Kessler ’00 holds a little girl while visiting with residents in La Romana, Dominican Republic. (Contributed photo)
Dickerson and Michelle Kessler ’00 took the idea to their colleagues last fall, assuming three or four might be interested. “Twenty-two initially showed interest and we ended up taking a group of 14,” Dickerson said.
Though the trip took several months to plan, the inspiration behind the journey started when Kirkland initiated the You Matter campaign. “It started with a few T-shirts for teachers and staff with the words ‘You Matter’ printed on the front. The kids loved the shirts once they saw them and wanted their own,” said Kirkland.
Now, every child receives a T-shirt before standardized tests begin, reinforcing the school’s motto: “You matter everyday, in every way, in all that you do, nothing less than my best!”
The motto appears on the back of the tees and on posters throughout the school, and is recited during morning announcements each day. A star-studded video is played during a pre-test pep rally featuring professional and Olympic athletes, musicians and even princesses who send You Matter messages to the students.
¡Te Importa!
On June 23, the teachers boarded a plane and made their way to La Romana, Dominican Republic wearing new tie-dyed T-shirts with ‘You Matter’ translated in Spanish, ‘Te Importa,’ printed on the front.
Parents, teachers, staff and students at Eastern helped raise money for the trip and collect clothing to distribute to children. They held car washes, raffles and started Go Fund Me pages. So much clothing was donated the teachers couldn’t fit it in their carry-ons. They packed the clothing in boxes and parents paid for postage to the Dominican Republic. “Our parent involvement has been amazing,” said Money.
Once there, the group was immersed in the people and culture, especially the children.
“They were a very loving group and welcomed us into their community with open arms,” said Andrew Kievit, ’96, a fifth-grade teacher.
Andrew Kievit ’96 visits with children during a recent trip to the Dominican Republic. (Contributed photo)
They visited with one of the most poverty-stricken groups in the country, those who work in the sugar cane fields.
“Even though they live in terrible poverty, they are proud of what they have. We had several women invite us into their homes,” said Money.
Dickerson, who has been to the country four times, noticed improvements in the education system. “The school buildings have greatly improved but what I loved the most was how excited the children were to learn new things and complete projects,” said Dickerson.
The teachers said they brought back ideas they could apply to their students at Eastern.
“I feel like I’m a better person due to the trip. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about the trip since being back home,” said Kievit.
Some said they better understand how the home lives of their students could impact their behavior, and a few mentioned wanting to make students more aware of other cultures.
“It reminded me of why I went into education,” Money said. “Not for the money… but for the impact I can make on these students of mine.”
Toni Sheriff ’11 with her first-grade students at Eastern Elementary after they received their You Matter shirts. (Contributed photo)