Accessing AIM - 2019 Report

ACCESSING AIM

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

2018-2019

Matthew S. Naylor - Chair, Elite Family of Companies

Al Chiaradonna - Vice Chair, SEI Private Banking

Mitch Codkind - Treasurer, Energage, LLC

Jackie L. Allen - Secretary, Advocate for Women and Families

Patricia M. Roberts - Executive Director

Nancy G. Blair - Associate Director

Bryna Berman, Esq. - Advocate for Women and Education

Hon. Carolyn Carluccio - Judge, 38th Judicial District, Montgomery County

George W. Connell - The Haverford Trust Company

Jennifer Crawford - Blackney Hayes

Donna De Carolis, Ph.D. - Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship, Drexel University

Darryl J. Ford, Ph.D. - William Penn Charter School

Alan R. Gedrich, Esq. - Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

John W. Glomb, Jr. - Philadelphia Insurance Companies

Liz Greco-Rocks - Advocate for Education and Mental Health

Elliot Holtz - Noro Properties LLC

Patrick J. Hoyer - The Haverford Trust Company

Brian Lobley - Independence Blue Cross

Vince Lowry - Global Beta Advisors

Ernest May - Wells Fargo Capital Finance

John New - WorkMerk LLC

Stan Silverman - Vice Chairman, Drexel University

Hans Zandhuis - Chatham Capital, LLC

Emeritus Trustees

Hon. Wendy Demchick Alloy - Judge, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas

MESSAGE FROM CHRIS HERMAN

Since 2006, I have witnessed AIM flourish and grow over the years. But, this year is different. As AIM Academy’s Head of School it is the first time I’ve been privileged to sit in every classroom in every division and watch learning in action and see how our students are transformed by our innovative teachers across the whole school. Our Spring 2019 AIM snapshot provides a wonderful opportunity to highlight what I see each day not just in the classrooms, but far beyond the campus walls.

This year’s report highlights just a handful of the exciting things happening at AIM from an all-school day of service in January and experiential travel opportunities broadening the horizons of our young global citizens to student research assistants working with Haskins Labs researchers in our EEG lab and alumni returning to share their accomplishments.

At AIM we are always looking for innovative and creative ways to further our mission, support our students and develop new community partnerships. These relationships with our families, alumni and supporters continue to evolve. Inside you’ll hear how learning in all our divisions is pushing the boundaries on what it means to be a P21 Exemplar School and how we have taken the notion of research to practice to a whole new level. I look forward to watching even more students have the chance to shine.

Chris Herman Head of School AIM Academy

MESSAGE FROM PAT ROBERTS & NANCY BLAIR

We are pleased to showcase the many collaborations and partnerships of AIM bridging the student and faculty accomplishments at AIM Academy and the work of the AIM Institute for Learning & Research. Our focus on maximizing the potential of children with language-based learning differences and providing access to the latest research and best practices benefits struggling readers everywhere. AIM’s research efforts in conjunction with the Haskins Global L2 (Language & Literacy) Innovation Hub have opened doors for applied research on the part of our students and has put our educators on the frontline of the latest and most innovative science of reading findings. These partnerships enable AIM to bring evidencebased literacy programs to educators and schools.

The reach of our AIM community continues to expand at a critical time when the important discussion of the “science of reading” is frequently in the mainstream news. More than 900 people participated in our 7th annual Research to Practice Symposium on March 11 and had the opportunity to celebrate Dr. Hollis Scarborough whose Reading Rope has been the foundation of research into practice work. With the launch of our AIM PATHWAYS digital teacher training platform, we are thrilled to work with even more innovative teachers and fearless learners outside our walls with implications for global training and research.

Pat Roberts Nancy Blair Executive Director Associate Director AIM Institute AIM Institute

LESSONS FROM THE READING ROPE

On the wall in many of our classrooms at AIM there is an image of a rope unraveling at the end. It is an image every prospective family sees during our admissions open houses. It is Dr. Hollis Scarborough’s Reading Rope Originally designed as a handout to explain to parents the many pieces of learning that go into skilled reading, Dr. Scarborough’s easily-recognized rope has been the jumping off point for countless reading researchers and has been integral to the innovative teaching that happens at AIM.

“We took her theoretical framework with that reading rope and we built the AIM Integrated Literacy Model,” explained AIM co-founder Nancy Blair.

In March, Dr. Scarborough, the recipient of AIM’s inaugural Hollis Scarborough Award, shared A Case History of a Twisty Metaphor when accepting her award during the AIM Institute’s Research to Practice Symposium.

“The rope would never have been created if there had been consensus as to what skills and knowledge and what the important aspects of reading are and how best to teach it,” Dr. Scarborough explained. “We were in the reading wars.”

“Many of the strands on that rope go to Hollis’ work,” said Haskins Laboratories Director Dr. Ken Pugh while presenting Dr. Scarborough with the award. “Hollis recognized that reading doesn’t occur in a bottom up vacuum.”

While the rope accounts for the many pieces that go into becoming a skilled reader, Dr. Scarborough was quick to credit teacher trainers who strive to bring her metaphor to life in the classroom.

“I wouldn’t dare to tell anyone in this room how to teach reading,” she told the in-person and online audience of close to 900 people.“Even if the rope is perfect...putting it into practice requires a whole other skill set...This rope tells you nothing about how to teach these things or when to teach these things or with what to teach these things and I can’t help.”

Dr. Scarborough, who donated her original Reading Rope documents to AIM and signed a matted-display of the artifacts during the Symposium which will soon be on display at AIM, said she is honored to be part of the AIM family which is striving to put her research into practice.

“Kudos to AIM and everybody like AIM who is trying with the available data to become more evidence-based and not only move things forward but give feedback back to researchers, as to better questions to ask and times to ask them.”

Kudos to AIM … who is trying with the available data to become more evidencebased and not only move things forward but give feedback back to researchers.

IGNITE CENTER IN ACTION

AIM’s first research project as part of our partnership with the Haskins Global L2 (Language & Literacy) Innovation Hub is underway. The Predicting Literacy Outcomes in Schools study examines the neurocognitive bases of individual responses to the well-established evidencebased interventions we deliver at AIM with our students with language-based learning difficulties (LBLDs).

The goal of the AIM’s IGNITE Center (Implementing Global Neuroscience in Technology and Education) is to help accelerate learning through deeper understanding of what works for whom by engaging teachers and students in applied research. Its second goal is to “provide AIM Upper School students with the opportunity to be involved directly in this research as IGNITE Center Student Research Fellows.”

Testing of AIM research volunteer participants began in January and Upper School Student Research Fellows, under the guidance of Assistant Head of School Dr. Grace Ashton, have been assisting run experiments with students alongside researchers at Haskins Laboratories (a formal affiliate of Yale University and the University of Connecticut). Student Research Fellows have helped mix the salt water solution for the EEG caps, used pipettes to ensure that the electrodes had adequate contact with the scalp, and most importantly, talked students through what they were doing so it was a positive experience. Student research fellows calibrated volumes for different experiments and enjoyed working hand-in-hand with some of the top neuro-researchers in the country.

We look forward to seeing how our student research fellows continue to involve themselves in this new endeavor. This project is a perfect example of AIM’s ongoing commitment to research-to-practice and finding ways to incorporate what scientists know about learning into our curriculum, into the classrooms and involving our students directly in the process.

“We thank AIM for welcoming us to do this amazing initiative with them to be able to bring the research lab into the school to work together in a way where we are learning from each other very directly what are the programs, what’s working, how are kids responding and then we can marry the research tools into the “real world” of classroom treatment,” said Dr. Ken Pugh, director of Haskins Laboratories, at our March 11 Research to Practice Symposium. “We’re really thrilled every time [our researchers] come down because they love seeing the students and working in the class.”

AIM FOR THE STARS GALA

CELEBRATING PARTNERSHIPS THAT WORK

On Wednesday, April 10, 300 members of the AIM community came together at VIE in Philadelphia to celebrate our many partnerships and to imagine how we can continue to work together to provide literacy education to all struggling learners. Honorees at this event, AIM’s largest annual fundraiser included Dr. Kevin Baumlin, Chair of Emergency Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital, Jenny Bogoni, Executive Director of Philadelphia’s Read by 4th program and our own Rob Ervin, Director and Creator of AIM’s Robotics and Engineering Program. The event, which was hosted by honorary co-chairs Liz Greco-Rocks and the Hon. M. Joseph Rocks, allowed generous donors to imagine the world we could live in if all students had boundless futures and access to evidence-based learning and helped AIM raise more than $365,000 to support scholarship and teacher training.

DAY ON DAY OF SERVICE

This year on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day AIM students began a new tradition - a Day On Day of Service. Instead of spending the national holiday as a vacation day, AIM students and faculty spent the day participating in service activities.

Whether they were filling bags with fortified rice meals for Rise Against Hunger, crafting Dream Banners imagining a world without gun violence, painting a mural in the Dining Hall or rolling socks for the homeless, the fearless learners at AIM spent Martin Luther King Jr. Day witnessing the sense of contribution, joy and partnership that come through service both at AIM and Girard College, which hosts the oldest and largest MLK Jr. Day service event in the country. AIM student photos were even featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer’s news coverage of the event.

Many AIM faculty members brought their own children along to participate in this important event which had students of all ages reflecting on what it means to be a global citizen and how the words and actions of Dr. King shaped the world we live in.

“We see this year’s Day of Service as a first step toward establishing a robust annual community-wide event which in time will become a hallmark of the overall AIM experience. Service matters and participating in it is a meaningful way to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” explained Head of School Chris Herman. “We would like this sense of community responsibility to be embedded in the fabric of AIM students.”

ATHLETICS

1st PLAYOFF WIN FOR AIM ATHLETICS

AIM’s Varsity Boys Basketball program, began the season missing eight graduated seniors and adding 11 new players and new assistant coach Mark Brandon to the team. Despite struggling at the beginning of the season, in true AIM form, the boys showed resiliency and improved every day. Behind the leadership of captains Larry P. ‘20 and Mekhi M. ‘20 the Wolf Pack proceeded to go undefeated in their remaining regular season games to earn their second consecutive TCISL American Division Championship. And, in February they added a new stat to AIM’s athletic accomplishments - a playoff win. Though they came up short in the semi-finals, the team handily won its first playoff game in program history with a 68-47 win over the Phelps School on February 5th.

New Athletics Teams for AIM Students

New varsity sports and athletics opportunities are being added to the extracurricular opportunities of AIM students this year. This fall we fielded our first Girls Varsity Soccer team and they will be a full TCISL member next fall. Our Varsity Mountain Bike Team, Girls and Boys Varsity Tennis teams enjoyed their second seasons. This winter our cheerleading team was reconvened for the winter season and AIM swimmers enjoyed a second season swimming in multiple meets.

This Spring our Boys Varsity Lacrosse team competes as a member of the TCISL for the first time. We are continuing to see growth in our girls lacrosse program and are offering a Co-ed Baseball as an additional club sport that could be developed into a Varsity sport in the future. We also added Karate, Hip Fit Dance, and Hoop Dance Club to our Fitness & Wellness offerings.

“The state of athletics is in great shape at AIM,” said Director of Athletics Mike Brooks. “Not only are we starting to compete at a championship level, but we are also creating more opportunities for our students to take an active role in athletics in a way that is meaningful to them and their personal development.”

EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

AIM’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee has been hard at work putting AIM’s board-approved Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statement into action at AIM.

• Diversity Student Leaders: Groups of AIM middle and upper school students have had the opportunity to spend time away from school working with peers and learning at a variety of diversity conferences. In December six Upper Schoolers attended the People of Color Conference in Nashville with 1600 students from around the world at the Student Diversity Leadership Conference event is hosted by NAIS (the National Association of Independent Schools). And, In March, eight Middle Schoolers attended the Middle School Diversity Conference 2019 at with 600 peers from around the Philadelphia area.

• Lower School Curriculum and Instructional Leader Penn Pritchard recently received one of three MCRC@ADVIS/ Carney Sandoe Equity in Action Grants to explore instructional fidelity in AIM’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative. Their work will focus on crafting and implementing tools to assess and support teachers’ comfort and proficiency with culturally responsive classroom practices.

• Women’s Leadership Initiative Power Lunches: During March, young women in Upper School were invited to attend a series of “power lunches” to meet and converse with female professionals in our AIM community including: Jennifer Mogck, a VP at Goldman Sachs, the Hon. Carolyn Carluccio, attorney Bryna Berman, and author and entrepreneur Amanda Steinberg

• Global Scholars Teaching Lower SchoolThis winter senior Roxy B. ‘19 completed her Global Scholars internship in Aviva Coyne-Green’s 5th grade class with a lesson on privilege and marginalization as it connected to various groups of women during Westward Expansion. Roxy incorporated topics students had studied in class to apply them to her lesson.

• Upcoming Equity, Diversity and Inclusion EventsAIM’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee is actively working to develop programs for the AIM and area community beginning with a panel discussion on Wednesday, May 8 titled “AIM for Equity: Opening a Community Dialogue on Diversity and Inclusion” and a film screening of Normal Isn’t Real during Dyslexia Awareness Month in October. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us for these important events.

IN THE CLASSROOM

• Self Care: Lower School students spent January discussing and learning about the importance of selfcare, staying healthy and the positive effects it can have on attitude. At the end of the month, students and faculty participated in a division-wide yoga class led by Amy Holt-Cline in the ACC.

• Hands On Science: Middle schoolers have enjoyed many unique, hands on learning opportunities this winter whether learning about genetic traits from three generations of scientists (Dr. Bower (92), Dr. Bower (58) and our own Ms. Julia Bower) or learning how to extract and examine DNA from insects with Dr. Ryan Ragland a Microbiologist at Biomeme Inc.

• Highest Level of Scouting: Josh J. ‘22 became the second AIM student to attain the rank of Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America. As part of his Eagle Scout project Joshua oversaw creation of a butterfly sanctuary at AIM with the help of AIM classmates Ethan M. and Jackson S. as well as teachers, Chrissy Mellon and Shelly Johnston. Be sure to look for the new beds in bloom this spring next to the turf field at AIM’s entrance.

• Discovering Interactive Humanities: Our winter Interactive Humanities Night in Lower School allowed parents and caregivers to learn more about the 1st-5th grade IH curriculum crafting volcanoes, learning Gyotaku fish printing, mummifying apples, constructing a Roman Aqueduct, and creating hand-marbled papers.

• Habla Espanol?: This year AIM Upper School students have the opportunity to study Spanish as an elective option. Teacher Terwill Tomino has worked with students on developing skills in learning the second most spoken language in the world.

• AIM Kitchen Chefs for a Day: This year the AIM chefs have invited AIM faculty and staff to share their favorite meals and recipes with students during special Chef for the Day opportunities. Whether it is Lower Schoolers helping make pies with Mr. Herman or Middle Schoolers dancing in the dining hall at Dr. Christy Barbone’s Italian feast, the special guest meals have been a highlight for students and kitchen staff alike. In December when Middle School Head Dr. Ed Gallagher’s mother Betty Jane arrived to make the family favorite Cowboy Stew, two TV stations were on hand to record the event.

• Riding for Focus Expands: AIM Riding for Focus instructor Anne Rock is true to her goal to get #morekidsonbikes. This year the unique research-focused elective course from the Specialized Foundation has expanded to include 7th grader riders as well as our 8th graders.

Eye to Eye Q and A with Isabelle J. ‘19, AIM’s Eye to Eye Chapter Leader

Q: What is Eye to Eye?

A: Eye to Eye is an arts-based, social-emotional mentoring program for students with learning disabilities and ADHD. High school and college students with learning differences mentor middle school students using a social-emotional curriculum that helps students become comfortable talking about their differences and their feelings.

Q: How many people are in Eye to Eye?

A: This year we have about 10 AMY Northwest MIddle School students and 12 AIM students.

Q: The AIM Eye to Eye chapter is three years old. How does it benefit AIM students?

A: I believe that this program has been very beneficial to both the mentees and the mentors. For AIM students, the program gives them the chance to connect and share their experiences with younger students.

Q: What about the AMY students who participate in the after-school arts-based programs?

A: Over the years I have been told by the AMY supervisor that students have become more confident in class and around their friends. For students struggling with their learning differences, the program gives the mentees a chance to feel a part of a community without any stigma and a time to relax and feel connected.

Q: What is an example of a recent Eye to Eye project?

A: The month of February was Strikeout Stigma Month where students spread LD and ADHD awareness and worked to strengthen bonds between mentors and mentees. During one week we had a Short Term Goals Project where students had to think of a goal and the steps to get there and then create a project surrounding their favorite sport or game.

IN THE CLASSROOM

While learning in the classroom here at AIM is exciting, there is something quite special about the rich experiences that occur when students are immersed in content whether in the mountains of Wyoming, the historic streets of Williamsburg, the mountains of Peru or the towns and cities of Spain.

As can be seen in Dr. Scarborough’s Reading Rope, research shows that robust content and background knowledge is a critical part of strong reading comprehension. Immersive learning is a surefire way to build that storehouse of knowledge. AIM’s program travel opportunities are important pillars of our academic program, excellent vehicles for building strong core knowledge to benefit overall literacy, significant opportunities to better understand the world, and provide children with the chance to step out of the comforts of classroom learning to watch information come to life.

kg. average amount of olives it takes to produce 1 kg. of olive oil like at the Cordoboa olive oil farm visited by students

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG - 7TH GRADE

average # of miles students walked, hiked or skied each day

Inches of snow during the 8th grade trip. different animals and birds seen during the trip

number of mechanical pencils used on student’s writing, sketching and field journal completion

of students who learned how to clean dorms, bunks common spaces and kitchens.

average number of miles walked a day by teachers and 42 students

century students entered when they dined on colonial hot chocolate and coffee in a traditional tea house.

hoops rolled while learning colonial games

average temperature during the sunny, temperate trip

of students who adapted to the day-to-day aspects of colonial life.

RESEARCH TO PRACTICE

7TH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM 900+ PARTICIPANTS

More than 900 people across the world - including more than 700 individuals via livestream on Understood.org - participated in the AIM Institute’s 7th Annual Research to Practice Symposium on Monday, March 11. This free event included representative from more than eight state departments of education, researchers, parent advocates, education reporters, AIM partners and most importantly educators who can take the information they learned about Reading, Math and The Brain back to their classrooms.

QUOTES FROM OUR SPEAKERS

“The more severe the math difficulty, the more likely you are to have a concurrent reading difficulty.” Nancy Jordan, Professor School of Education, University of Delaware

“As educators I think sometimes what happens is our personal interests and philosophies become roadblocks and we forget about what our mission actually is and that is the children.We have the what but we don’t always understand the why of what we’re doing with it.” Nancy Hennessy, Education Consultant

“We need to close the gap between what we know in the science and what we routinely do...there is an urgent need to do something about the fact that only 20 percent of kids are reading proficiently by 3rd grade.” Ron Fairchild, senior consultant National Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

“There is good evidence to show that students who have deficiencies in basic math skills by the end of high school will be at significantly higher risk for lower wages, unemployment, mental health problems, physical illness and even arrest and incarceration.” Dr. Daniel Berch, Professor Emeritus of Special Education, Educational Psychology and Developmental Science, University of Virginia

“Many of the people that Lynn and I have met from AIM have displayed to us not just passion and commitment,which is terribly admirable, but a kind of criticalness...And criticalness does not mean negative, it means inquiring, constantly inquiring. Anyone who’s going to do justice to AIM as an institution and the people who work at AIM have to use the word intellectually curious and I find that to be really remarkable.” Dr. Doug Fuchs, Nicholas Hobbs Professor of Special Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University

PATHWAYS

SUMMER RESEARCH ON NEW DIGITAL PLATFORM

AIM’s new digital teacher training platform AIM PATHWAYSTM will be ready to use on June 1! This project represents a scalable, affordable solution for schools to create internal coaches and school-based literacy leaders trained to support the science of reading. The platform can be used to onboard new teachers (including faculty and substitute teachers at AIM) and to sustain schools’ investments in developing a cohesive, comprehensive literacy program through all grades.

This summer AIM faculty will travel to Tennessee as part of a randomized, controlled study on the platform by Dr. Tim Odegard, director of the Center for Dyslexia at Middle Tennessee State University and a member of AIM’s Research Advisory Board. During the study, 50-60 Tennessee educators will take AIM’s Pathways to Proficient Reading course with half learning in the standard, week-long standand-deliver course taught by AIM faculty members and half using the new AIM Pathways platform. Dr. Odegard will be measuring the growth in literacy knowledge of teachers as well as teacher satisfaction with the course as part of his study.

AIM is in the process of seeking IDA accreditation for AIM Pathways and its Pathways to Proficient Reading course, which was recently featured in an article in PBIDA’s newsletter.

AIM TO COLLEGE

AIM’s 29 member Class of 2019 has already been accepted to more than 70 schools including the highest number of Early Decision applicants. Our multi-talented students plan to pursue degrees in the arts, engineering business and a variety of other areas.

Q and A with Nikolaj Hansen-Turton ‘19

This year’s graduating class will also include the first AIM students, Ellerie H.‘19 and Nikolaj Hansen-Turton ‘19 to study at university internationally, both in London. Nikolaj, who will attend East London University this fall, shared his reasons for pursuing a degree as an international student.

Q: Why did you decide to apply to an international school?

A: I decided to attend international school in the fall of my junior year. I was allowed to get a British passport because my dad is British and at the time I was getting interested in politics and I like the parliamentary system of government and wanted to learn more.

Q: How did you choose your school?

A: I wanted to be in London because it is so close to parliament so I can have the opportunity to have internships and place of government. I ended up applying to five schools total. University of East London has about 20,000 students and there are about 1,000 international students.

Q: What do you plan to study?

A: I am planning to do a Politics and International Relations degree program. I really enjoy my history classes. Mr. Brandon is a tough teacher, but has driven me to want to learn more and do more.

Q: How has AIM prepared you for college?

A: I’ve been at AIM since 3rd grade. Having dyslexia and growing up, AIM has given me a perspective of knowing how incredibly lucky I am to have this support. I hope to bring that attention to the UK.

Q: Your brother is in 2nd grade here at AIM. Will it be hard to be far away?

A: That was one of my only early roadblocks. Luckily through technology I will be able to talk to him through Facetime and get to see him.

applications by AIM students to HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Threads - College acceptances encompass AIM’s Four Threads of Learning including entrepreneurship and global scholars programs, arts schools, and science and engineering institutes.

acceptance rate for AIM students applying to college

Colleges and universities to which AIM students have been accepted over the past 7 years.

CLASS OF 2019 – COLLEGE BOUND

Members of the Class of 2019 have been accepted to 75 colleges and universities worldwide.

AIM ALUMS

With our 100th graduate crossing the stage at last year’s June 2018 commencement, AIM has focused on working to develop a supportive network of both alumni parents and students to provide supportive opportunities even after our fearless learners move forward into their boundless futures.

• In February we held our 2nd annual Alumni Parents Brunch which included families from each of AIM’s seven graduating classes gathering to talk about AIM, their children’s college experiences and ideas for supporting students and alumni.

• Plans are underway for our first Alumni Employment/ Internship Workshop on Wednesday, June 12th from 3:00 to 5:00 pm when alumni will have the opportunity to practice interview skills, learn about resume writing and more with AIM community members.

• Be sure to mark the dates for our Spring and End of Year Alumni Events: Thursday, May 23 - 5 Year Reunion, 6:30-8:30 pm, AIM Academy Patio; Wednesday, June 12 - 5th Annual Alumni Gathering, 5-7:30 pm, Great American Pub and Alumni Parent Gathering, 5-7:30 pm at Conshohocken Brewing Company.

Q and A with Andrew DiPrinzio, Head of AIM Advantage

Q: How many students do you work with and what do you do with them? In six years, I’ve worked with over 40 students. The goal is simple, get that college degree. I meet weekly with students to organize and prioritize assignments, make sure their disability accommodations are being used effectively and I encourage them to make their presence known on campus. Together, we also work on boosting their reading, writing, and study skills to a college-level.

Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge new college students face?

A professor’s demands. AIM senior year is the right type of college preparation, but nothing compares to the demands of a tenured professor who doesn’t know who you are. A professor demands heavy and thoughtful reading, long and scholarly sourced writing, and an extraordinary amount of out of class study time. Students must hit the ground running and quickly learn how to meet these demands. I make sure they can.

Q: What do you like most about AIM Advantage?

I love when my students get As. There is so much joy when our students see that they match up against other college students who do not have a learning disability — that their grade is a product of their hard work and intellect, as recognized by a tough professor. The moment they see that first A, they know they can do this!

Q: What do you think students like most about AIM Advantage?

They like knowing that help is a text away. For all students, but especially for a student with a learning difference, college is so incredibly difficult. Our students need help from someone who understands how they learn and understands the AIM way. So often my coaching is reminding them of those AIM taught strategies that made them so successful in high school. Knowing that an AIM teacher is with them, ready to help when needed, makes all the difference.

AIM Advantage provides virtual coaching and college-planning assistance to alums. To learn more about the program contact Mike Dunn at mdunn@aimpa.org

AIM Advantage Alumni Spotlight - Insaf Sydnor ‘15

Insaf Sydnor ‘15 will graduate from Pennsylvania State University (Main Campus) this May. She’s worked with the AIM Advantage all four years of college and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies, as well as a minor in Psychology. She has interned at the Family Bennet Center, researching in the infant/toddler room, and at Philadelphia Fight, assisting in counseling adults with HIV and AIDS. This summer she will be working with AIM Upper School psychologist Dr. Kristin Zielinski at AIM Academy’s summer program while she applies to graduate schools to continue her studies in mental health counseling. Insaf’s mother Lisa Cushenberry Sydnor says she knows her daughter’s drive, will to learn, self-advocacy skills and success is due to being at AIM. “I know these successes she has could not be possible if there wasn’t a Nancy Blair and a Pat Roberts, who gave her a place to learn differently, and an Andrew DiPrinzio who continues to instruct, challenge and guide her.” Insaf credits AIM with helping her accept her learning difference and showing her that the only way to get that college degree is to work hard and to advocate for yourself.

AN AIM FUND UPDATE

DOUBLING UP FEARLESSLY ON AIM

Gifts to the AIM Fund, AIM’s annual giving campaign, are unrestricted and directly and immediately support activities at AIM. We have currently raised 60% toward our $500,000 AIM Fund goal and have the opportunity to help unlock a $200,000 matching gift. All gifts to the AIM Fund made by June 30th will help unlock these matching dollars. By raising $200,000 we can double up on AIM raising twice as much as the AIM Fund raised last year providing even more opportunities to support innovative teaching and fearless learning.

Available for $1 - Amount your AIM Fund gift will be matched by an anonymous donor

Matching Gift

funds raised to date

AIM Fund 2018-2019 Goal

Give online at www.aimpa.org/donate. AIM’s fiscal year ends on June 30, 2019.

WHY EITC?

Q and A with Naresh and Saroj Ramdas (P’19)

Q: Why did your family give back to AIM for student scholarships?

A: We have been so pleased with what AIM has given to our son Sid and would like to give that opportunity to other students via the scholarship program.

Q: How did you choose AIM?

A: We were looking for a school that provided students with learning differences the tools to prepare for and succeed in college and beyond. We felt AIM was the school that would provide these opportunities and support for our son.

Q: What was Sid’s and your family’s experience at AIM?

A: AIM has provided Sid with the tools to understand his learning style, given him a voice to advocate for himself and has built his confidence. Our relationship moved from an afterschool teacher/student to mom/son when he moved to AIM. The teaching style, support and challenges he received at AIM allowed this growth within Sid and in our family.

Q: What are Sid’s plans after graduation?

A: Sid will be attending Champlain College in Burlington, VT in the Fall and pursuing a degree in Computer Networking and Cybersecurity.

SUPPORTING AIM

The PA Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program (EITC) offers a substantial tax credit in exchange for a contribution to support AIM Scholarships. In addition to businesses, individuals with a state tax liability are now eligible to join a Special Purpose Entity (SPE). For more information, please contact Joy Antonoplos - jantonoplos@aimpa.org, 215-948-9335.

million in contributions for 2018-2019 to date

of all AIM students receive financial aid individuals and businesses contributing to funds

WHY EITC?

Q and A with Peter and Barbara Miller (P ‘21)

Q: What stands out to you about AIM?

A: “We believe, the most unique attribute at AIM is the professional community - teachers, administrators, support staff. Everyone puts the students first making a culture at AIM that focuses on delivering on a very deep commitment to students and their academic and personal development.”

Q: Why did you choose AIM?

A: We chose AIM . . . based on glowing recommendations from graduates, parents of graduates and other educators in the community. Andrew’s experience so far has been exceptional in that plans to excel in academics have been established and are working, friendships have been developed that make school the desired destination everyday and golf season is about to begin making the AIM golf team a high priority.

Q: Why did your family give back to AIM for student scholarships?

A: We are delighted to support AIM through the BLOCS student scholarship program knowing their mission to deliver special growth opportunities will enable other students to experience a school that delivers excellent academics while truly caring for their personal growth and development.

SIGHTS ON SUMMER

Explore the Future of Education

This summer AIM’s new IGNITE Center will host its first Summer Institute bringing together educators and researchers for a unique three-day event at AIM will explore the intersection of Neuroscience, Technology and Literacy with keynote speakers and interactive workshops.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn from and interact with renowned researchers from organizations like the Child Mind Institute, the Educational Testing Service and Haskins Laboratories. The event, which will be held June 25 - June 27 and is hosted by AIM and Haskins Laboratories, is sponsored in part by an ADVIS-Edward E. Ford Transformative Models for Independent Schools Sustainability grant.

Keynote speakers include: Haskins researchers Dr. Ken Pugh and Dr. Nicole Landi, Dr. Justin Aglio of Montour School District in Pittsburgh, Dr. Arno Klein of the Child Mind Institute, Dr. John Sabatini of ETS Research and AIM parent and board member Mr. Al Chiaradonna of SEI.

We look forward to three days of engaging sessions followed by participant sessions designed to translate the research into practical applications for the classroom.

Learn more at: www.aimpa.org/summerinstitute

SUMMER LEARNING. SUMMER FUN.

Summer has never been a quiet time at AIM. Teacher training opportunities through the AIM Institute are in full swing and in July our popular Summer Enrichment Program draws students from throughout the community.

This summer will be even busier as we add new and unique training opportunities and summer camp experiences that even provide AIM parents a chance to join in the Summer Learning and Summer Fun.

Summer Travel - Costa Rica - In addition to having the opportunity to spend July at AIM, Upper School students have the opportunity to participate in an international enrichment course featuring travel to Costa Rica. The fourweek summer school structure will provide students with the opportunity to study the art, culture and environment of Costa Rica before traveling to the country to understand the world of arts while visiting an indigenous culture in Costa Rica during their trip with Rustic Pathways. They will wrap up their learning at AIM individualized classroom research projects.

Summer Enrichment - Research continually shows that students who don’t continue reading and learning in the summer experience what is often referred to as the “summer slide.” This is true for ALL students not just those with language-based learning differences. Students enrolled in AIM’s popular four-week enrichment program (July 1 – July 26) will have the opportunity to explore and learn whether it’s a middle schooler getting a jump on summer reading, an upper schooler preparing for the ACT or a Lower School student discovering the land Down Under as they explore reading, math, science, art and more.

Learn more at: www. aimpa.org/summerataim

AIM and Drexel’s Summer Entrepreneurship Experience - AIM is expanding its partnership with Drexel University’s Close School of Entrepreneurship beyond dual-enrollment courses and is bringing their entrepreneurial excellence to AIM this summer with two Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship opportunities for both students and adults! The week-long camps, run by a member of the Close School faculty, will introduce participants to life-long entrepreneurial skills and mindset, immerse them in a social entrepreneurial project and explore the intersection of the natural environment and entrepreneurship.

Program Dates: July 15 - 19

Youth Program (rising 8th graders to 12th grade graduates) - 12:30 - 4:30 pm

Adult Program - 5:00 - 8:00 pm

Learn More at: www.aimpa.org/summerentrepreneurship