Here’s how Steppingstone Scholars motivates students facing academic hardships

“Around the Corner” is a PhillyCAM show that offers local social impact leaders the opportunity to share what impact their work is having on the Philadelphia area. 

Steppingstone Scholars’ senior associate of college services, Stephanie Tisdale, remembers a recent crisis when she had to coach a student not academically motivated at their placed school.

“We actually sat down with the student and the parent to sort of think through what the possibilities are,” she said during her “Around the Corner” interview.

Steppingstone is a nonprofit that helps underserved students achieve academic excellence from elementary school to college through enrichment learning and helping them gain placement in more challenging schools.

“We were able to inspire that young person and say, ‘Hey, I know it’s challenging and maybe there’s certain things you don’t like or certain things you wish were different … but stay the course, stick with it,'” Tisdale said. “And I think they were able to leave out of that experience inspired to tackle the next stage.”

This is what Steppingstone does: allows its students to sit back and think of all of the challenges they may be facing with their academic lives, but also encouraging them to be resilient and determined to finish strong.

Learn more about Steppingstone Scholars below.

PhillyCAM is Comcast channel 66/966 HD/967 and Verizon FIOS channel 29/30 in Philadelphia.