Maggie Hutchison – Lewiston Teacher

I’m a Lewiston Public Schools teacher who would like to express support for the Lewiston Leadership Academy. I teach Grade 6 at McMahon Elementary School, a PreK-6 public school and am so thrilled that my students are able to participate in this program. I’ve known for years that a high-quality after-school program has a myriad of benefits for students, particularly marginalized populations coming from households with a lower socioeconomic status who might otherwise be considered “at risk” students. Many of my students express a lack of motivation in school and a distrust of authority figures such as teachers and administrators. Many of my students struggle to self-regulate their emotions and to treat peers and adults with kindness and respect. All of this has a negative impact on their ability to learn and achieve in an academic setting. Now that I’m a grade 6 teacher, I can finally appreciate how important it is for my students to participate in the Lewiston Leadership Academy. My students have a safe place to exercise and spend time with friends and trusted adults; experience first-hand the benefits of teamwork, collaboration and communication; learn what it means to experience success as the result of persistent effort; and feel motivated and engaged to do their best with a program in which they find value. All of these experiences help them feel more confident and give them a sense of purpose and fulfilment that they might not easily find at school. My hope is that my close collaboration with their coaches will help my students transfer the successes they experience at the Academy to school so that they can integrate their abilities and positive beliefs about themselves in a more holistic way. Thank you to Chris White and the Lewiston Leadership Academy for investing their time, energy, and love into Lewiston’s youth! The students appreciate it and so do their teachers, families, and community