“My job is to encourage talent” muses Matthew, a tutor in Children of the City’s Create Success After School Program. “I teach them the skills they need to come up with a strategy for learning” Creativity is the key to Matt’s teaching style. He fuses games, drama, group presentation and listening skills into almost every lesson. Last semester he staged a reading of Shakespeare’s “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream” to promote public speaking and foster comprehension and listening skills.
Matt grew up in Sunset Park but left Brooklyn for the Mid-west when he went to college to major in communications. “I was making a documentary in El Salvador when my heart just turned toward helping youth.” He moved back to his old neighborhood and rearranged his work schedule to free up his afternoon so that he could offer his services to Children of the City. Matt puts a high premium on boosting his student’s self esteem. He coaxes them out of their shells and inspires confidence.