Swarthmore students have many opportunities to give back to the community, whether it’s through Engaged Scholarship Courses, the Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility, or participation in one of the many student-run social activism organizations (Clubs & Activities) on campus. My job as a “math coach” with the Chester Children’s Chorus is one such pay-it-forward opportunity that brings me joy and fulfillment.
Started in 1994 by then Swarthmore College Chorus director John Alston, the Chester Children’s Chorus (CCC) is a non-profit organization that provides choral and math education to 3rd to 12th grade students from Chester, Pennsylvania. Chester, a predominantly Black suburb of Philadelphia, faces environmental racism and lack of support within its education system. To counteract these realities, the academic component of the CCC program aims to increase Chester students’ math proficiency in hopes that their education won’t impose any limits on the things they can achieve in life. The math practice program is led by a full time educator, and Swarthmore students serve as one-on-one coaches. I work with my student twice a week—on a weekday evening and on Saturday afternoon. The CCC students are bused from Chester to their building just off campus for singing rehearsal and math study time. At each of our sessions, I provide help when needed as my student completes her homework and then share a lesson I’ve prepared on another math topic that compliments what she is learning in school. Since the students range from elementary to high school age, coaches are teaching everything from multiplication to calculus.
CCC also holds a five-week summer camp at Swarthmore that engages CCC students with a broader range of subjects and experiences, including science, dance, art, and swimming, in addition to the standard music and math curriculum. For the science focused component of camp, students visit Swarthmore’s research labs and participate in lab science activities led by Swarthmore students who are on-campus conducting science research projects over the summer.
The CCC students’ music education is showcased in several concerts each year—many of which are held on campus in the beautiful Lang Concert Hall. For CCC concerts, the 450-seat concert hall is always completely full with Swarthmore students, professors, and Chester community members who give the kids a warm and enthusiastic reception. I always leave the CCC concerts feeling uplifted. Now that I am a CCC math coach and have developed a relationship with one of the students, it’s especially fun to see her perform. I’m looking forward to two more years of doing math and appreciating music together.
