Steppingstone Scholars Pilots ‘Middle Grades Academy’ With Help From Philadelphia Foundation Funding

Photo by Adachi Pimentel of Adachi Photography

Steppingstone Scholars, an education-focused nonprofit, received funds from the S. Albert Fund at The Philadelphia Foundation to help pilot a school-based program model, “Middle Grades Academy,” in partnership with Drexel and Temple universities.

Steppingstone is working with Drexel at McMichael Promise Academy, located in the West Philadelphia Promise Zone. It is also active at Dunbar Elementary School, adjacent to Temple’s North Philadelphia campus.

“The goal for us is that, looking at this [school] crisis, we need to be innovative and rethink what we do,” said Sean Vereen, the president of Steppingstone Scholars. “We need to align with bigger institutions and work with schools in ways that are going to make bigger impacts.”

Steppingstone, founded in 1999, has a pipeline of services to help students reach and succeed in college. Scholars are nominated by a parent or educator in the 4th grade, and accepted students participate in the program until they graduate from college. Over 500 students have participated.

At McMichael and Dunbar, where “Middle Grades Academy” is being piloted, Steppingstone will offer enrichment services to 4th through 8th graders and is focused on incorporating STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) into the curriculum. It will also target students performing at or above grade level, according to Vereen.

“Our piece is to identify students at the top level who usually get little attention,” he said. “We’re paying attention to the kids who are struggling, but we’re also paying attention to the students who are doing well.”