To: Parents
Read this if your son has been identified as being highly talented and motivated to succeed.
The national A Better Chance organization focuses on a single goal: to substantially increase the number of well-educated minority youth capable of assuming positions of responsibility and leadership in American society. It refers students to schools for placement and financial aid.
The community of Westport, Connecticut supports this goal through A Better Chance of Westport, Inc., which provides students with a first-class high school education at Staples High School while they live in a single-family home with Resident Directors in a safe, suburban community an hour from New York City. Community volunteers run the program. Many have children attending Westport’s schools. The Westport community also sees a chance to benefit its children, most of whom have few opportunities to interact regularly with peers outside Westport.
The community’s experience since the program began in Westport in 2002-2003 has been very positive. The community and the school have accepted the ABC scholars easily. The scholars have found opportunities for learning - both in school and out – that they did not have at home.
The ABC of Westport program has room for eight boys. They live in Glendarcy House, a single-family home that was renovated for the program. Each has a roommate. Also living in the house are a resident director couple – he is a physics teacher at our Staples High School, she is a social studies teacher at Harding High School in nearby Bridgeport. (Read more about them here.) A tutor supervises evening study periods. A part-time cook prepares meals. Scholars are expected to participate fully in study hours, sports, organizations, and work programs. And they do. They take responsibility for their own actions and follow established rules.
The program operates during the school year. Scholars return to their own homes and families for major holidays and school vacations. On weekends, scholars spend time with volunteer host families in the community. They take meals with the family, participate in whatever the family is doing, study or just hang out. Both scholars and host families can form close connections, and these may continue long past graduation.
Unlike ABC programs at independent boarding and day schools which charge tuition, ABC of Westport scholars attend Staples High School, an outstanding public school which does not charge tuition. The program does have some expenses, however. Some financial assistance is available. Interested parents will find it useful to review the current ABC of Westport Handbook, which includes information on finances, travel expenses and parent responsibilities.