Education Matters: Young entrepreneur teaches summer school to kids on front porch
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – A young entrepreneur is teaching neighborhood kids summer school on her front porch.
Rizpah Bellard is a different kind of entrepreneur and substitutes at a local elementary school.
“This is my second company blind essence it’s an independent living home. I provide shared affordable housing for adults experiencing homelessness,” Bellard said.
The Cornell University graduate says her work is about providing service to others.
“I’m more of a humanitarian and social entrepreneur so the business ventures I take on the end goal is to provide a safe space to provide a service to someone else,” she said.
That work extends to children in her own neighborhood.
“The kids asked me to do my summer school on the porch because a lot of students in the neighborhood said their parents didn’t sign them up for summer school in time,” Bellard said.
Soon other kids saw what was happening at the house down the street and wanted to join in.
“I walked right past here and they said they were doing a class and I said I wanted to join in, so I just joined right here,” said Zayvion Beatty a student at Lincoln Elementary School.
Bellard is also a substitute teacher and substitutes at Kirk Elementary most of the kids attending her porch summer school are students there.
The kids at Kirk will tell you ‘Oh Ms. B is serious about us reading, us knowing how to do our math, us paying attention, standing in line.’ I’m old school with my teaching,” Bellard said.
She teaches them math and works on improving their vocabulary and reading skills.
“I don’t know how to read so Miss B teach me some words and stuff, like some hard words,” said Allison Andrared a student at Kirk Elementary.
Kids show up every evening usually after 6:30 p.m. and are excited to learn. There are 13 kids that attend.
Friends have donated snacks and supplies bellard gets help from her boyfriend who is vice-principal at Sunnyside High School.
“This learning is very important because it’s more supplemental education in the front year, we’re able to target what kids really need to learn,” said Kevin Tatum Jr. the vice principal at Sunnyside High School.
Bellard who is fluent in Spanish says she has earned the trust of parents in the neighborhood and witnessed them get more involved with their child’s education. Her porch summer school is becoming a community project.
“This is really bringing it back to like that old-school feel of community and what neighbors should do. in my mind I’m just doing a neighborly thing and watching kids on the block,” Bellard said.
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