About

About

OUR MISSION

To help Baltimore City students (grades 8-12) become confident, competent and capable contributors to their communities by equipping them with the life skills that are essential for academic, workplace, and personal success.

THE PROGRAM

Students who are selected into the program receive a stipend to participate in an engaging and fun six-week summer program, during which skilled instructors use a targeted curriculum to teach leadership, communication skills, financial literacy, and tools for success, all while helping the scholars develop practical projects and age-appropriate strategies aimed at building a better Baltimore. The program’s objectives include: reinforcing the value of emotional intelligence and post-secondary education; imparting skills essential for educational, relational, and vocational success; providing practical opportunities to develop and practice these skills; practicing soft-skills with mentors and others; and, creating supportive networks that cultivate identities of success.

Throughout the school year, scholars come together on a regular basis to participate in stimulating enrichment activities that contribute to their personal growth, expose them to new ideas and expand their social and professional networks. The program is operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Maryland, a 501(c)3 non-profit entity. Scholars are recommended into the program by high school administrators and selected without regard to religious affiliation. To learn more about our budget and funding, see the graphics below.

THE EXPERIENCE

Scholars meet in their grade-level cohorts each morning where trained instructors guide them through a customized life skills curriculum and engage in practical conversations about topics of the Scholars’ choosing. After lunch, afternoons are spent in recreational activities and elective “clubs” that enable Scholars to pursue interests and grow as leaders. Spending four days and three nights at an overnight camp takes scholars away from the city to enjoy a fun-filled traditional summer camp experience in a tranquil and safe setting. Through field trips and college visits, Scholars are exposed to experiences and environments that may be unfamiliar to them. Guest speakers inspire and encourage the Scholars. The closing program allows Scholars to creatively showcase their learning in front of an audience of family, friends, and community members.

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS

In the Sutton Scholars program, we teach students about the “soft skills,” and we create opportunities to try them on through clubs and experiential learning. Summarized from the Harvard Business Review, these “soft skills” include:

Effective communication

adjusting our communication for context and audience.

Teamwork

learning to work effectively with people with a variety of personalities and perspectives.

Influencing Without Authority

bringing people along through collaboration.

Problem Solving

understanding a problem, brainstorming solutions, actively trying out ideas.

Leadership

actively guiding and influencing others to maximize their strengths and reach a collective goal.

ENRICHMENT MATTERS

We serve students who are moderate to high achievers yet lack the required support for, and access to, opportunities that will enrich and inform their vocational futures. The program is simultaneously rigorous and supportive. Students remain engaged and the retention rate of the program shows their commitment. For example, over the last two summers, every student that began in the program completed all six weeks, and 98% returned the following summer. Sutton Scholar alumni report that the book discussions, the exposure to the arts, and the career/college mentoring were valuable contributors to their current success.

Given the historic racial disparities in education and community services in the neighborhoods in which the students live, the Sutton Scholars program promotes equal access and opportunity for underserved young people. The students in the Sutton Scholars program attended elementary and middle schools that lacked ongoing enrichment activities offered in schools which are located in more affluent communities.

The enrichment curriculum provides a safe environment for students to grow more competent and hope-filled. Graduates report that they have learned much-needed skills for attaining their vocational goals, and their confidence has grown as a result.

The enrichment program accomplishes this by providing:

three hours per day of instruction that reduces “summer slide”
three hours per day of group and leadership activities
a healthy lunch and two snacks each day
a weekly stipend for full engagement in the program
exploration of Black history and identity through dance, theater, research, literature, and writing
training for and opportunities in public speaking
community service experiences
field trips and college visits
afternoon club activities include activism, photography, business, and graphic design
outdoor adventure-based leadership training