Nafi Diouf, Simone Levinson, Erick de la Cruz, and Pavia Monserat at the Turnaround For Children Third Annual Impact Awards Dinner. Photo courtesy Patrick McMullan.
Today’s blog post is from Communities In Schools Director of Individual Giving, Tim Plant.
A member of Communities In Schools’ National Leadership Council, Simone Levinson discovered something at an early age that has guided much of her life since then. She learned that fun, combined with purpose, results in fulfillment. Her teacher for this lesson was her mother; her classroom was the Boys & Girls Harbor summer camp where the family volunteered. Describing the weekends spent there, Levinson recalls “I would get much more out of it than I put in. It was a very fundamental lesson.”
Paired with her love of children, this lesson continued to shape Levinson’s adult life as she became a mentor at Harlem Village Academy. “Every opportunity to work with the children, either one-on-one or in the classroom, was rewarding,” she said. “But I would walk away from the school knowing that there were a million more students in New York who still needed a helping hand.”
Levinson’s determination to do something about the greater need grew with time. “I firmly believe that children deserve a quality education because education is the most effective way to provide all children with the possibility of being successful. And not just economically successful. Education allows children to discover themselves, to learn what they can contribute individually to a community and to gain the skill sets they need to fulfill their life’s purpose.”
Learn more about Simone Levinson and her dedication to helping students succeed in our latest issue of Inside CIS.
