Welcome to the Salem CyberSpace’s blog. My name is Linda Saris, Director of Salem CyberSpace and I am the author. I started this blog for two reasons:
(1) To introduce you to the wonderful programs at Salem CyberSpace
(2) To provide a forum to discuss current educational hot topics.
At Salem CyberSpace we provide academic services to low-income and many immigrant youth. We are not part of the public school system but do partner very closely with faculty staff and administrators at the public schools and at the area’s state colleges. Being an after school program allows us insights into educational issues as “lay” educators. Moreover because we are located right in the students’ neighborhood, we are able to establish very close personal relationships with students and their families and, as a result, see the challenges families face as they pursue their dreams.
We would like to share our insights and experiences in the hopes that they may contribute to the larger discussion on education reform.
As for myself, well, I grew up in Boston in a middle class family and attended Girls Latin School in Dorchester MA. After attending University of Pennsylvania for a BA in Economics and Urban Studies, and University of Chicago for an MBA, I spent the next 25 years in the corporate world, mostly in the healthcare and high tech sectors. As a senior executive, I always felt my most important job was one of teaching and mentoring my staff and other new hires. In the end, if they were successful, then I would be successful. My motto, teach them to fly and then get out of their way.
Education has always been my passion and when the opportunity came to leave the corporate world, I knew my next career would be working with economically disadvantaged youth. Although our world is not a level playing field, the opportunities are there for rich or poor. The trick is knowing where and how to find them and having the confidence to take the first step and then keep going through all the barriers that will inevitably appear. That is where I felt I could help. I would use my knowledge, my contacts, my management expertise and help low-income youth find their strengths and seek out the opportunities. What was unexpected was how much I would learn from these students and their families, how much I would enjoy working with the Latino community.
Please share your thoughts with me as you read the blogs. I don’t care if you agree or disagree, all I ask is that you are respectful.
