KIPP New York students benefit from the
partnership with the Louis Calder Foundation

Louis Calder established the Calder Foundation in 1951. Since that time, the Calder Foundation has sought to promote the educational and scholastic development of youth by improving the academic content at schools and community based organizations. They have been able to do so at a range of organizations, particularly in communities along the northeast corridor. Other beneficiaries have included Core Knowledge Foundation, as well as Teach For America in several regions of the country.

The Calder Foundation originally partnered with KIPP Academy New York in 1998, with that first grant supporting the extended day, Saturday and summer programming. They liked the results they saw from the additional time on task that KIPP Academy provided. “The Louis Calder Foundation was interested in supporting KIPP because we saw the opportunity for a school to maximize its impact, through both a rigorous curriculum and individualized attention,” says Holly Nuechterlein, Grant Program Manager. “At the time, such programming tended to be reserved for those who could afford it.”

Early support for KIPP New York

KIPP New York continues to find a strong partner in Calder. Their most recent grant to the region was a two year commitment that supported the planning of the new elementary and high schools. They are as interested as KIPP in supporting a continuum in education starting in the early grades, emphasizing a strong academic, core curriculum that delivers knowledge and abilities vital to all students. In New York as in other KIPP regions, the preK-12 model is helping KIPPsters start to develop this core knowledge early—timing can be everything in building a strong base for success.

Specifically, the Calder grant supports curriculum planning, recruitment and orientation, budget development, and facilities planning. Dave Levin, Superintendent for KIPP New York, reports that the region is deeply grateful for their partnership, saying that “the Louis Calder Foundation has enabled KIPP NYC to grow in a responsible and effective manner. While their most recent grant supported our expansion into elementary and high school, their ongoing investment has provided the consistent support so crucial to establish a solid foundation.”

Expanding to the Arkansas Delta

An Arkansas Delta student
in West Helena, AR

Beyond partnering with two of KIPP’s growing regions, the Louis Calder Foundation has enabled the KIPP Foundation to foster national professional development opportunities for KIPP teachers. The one year grant specifically supported the Teacher Leader Pathway Program for 2008, as well as professional development activities for the English Language Arts teacher community. “Teachers drive KIPP’s success in classrooms across the country, and we want to support their development as much as we can,” says Richard Barth, CEO for the KIPP Foundation. “The Calder Foundation helped us do that for both our Teacher Leader Pathway that develops teachers as effective leaders, as well as our ELA community of practice that helps teachers share and hone the curriculum they use.”

Sixty-four teachers benefited from the Teacher Leader Pathway in 2008—nearly a 200 percent increase from the year before. Each of these teachers was able to bring that impact back to their individual schools.

As the new schools in New York and the Arkansas Delta grow, many more KIPP students and families will benefit from the Calder Foundation’s vision of ensuring that more students can access the strong academic curriculum that is vital for their educational development and success.