November 30, 2016
On Wednesday, November 9, St. John’s University Staten Island campus and the School of Education hosted over 120 high school English Language Learners (ESL students) for a day of reflection and engagement with the promise of higher education. With the film “I Learn America” as focus, SJU School of Education Professor Jo Rossicone and her Adolescent Education students helped high school students from McKee High School, Curtis High School, Susan Wagner High School, and Port Richmond High School tell their stories of adjustment to the United States and their aspirations for college. Dr. Robert Fanuzzi, Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Director of Civic Engagement for the Staten Island campus, called it “a special day for our campus and proud moment for the university, especially given our institutional mission and long history of serving first generation and immigrant students.”
St. John’s partnered with the Staten Island Field office of the New York City Department of Education to introduce the film “I Learn America” to English Language learner programs in the four high schools and to prepare the students for their visit to the Staten Island campus. The film has been embraced by universities and high schools around the United States for its inclusive vision of college access for ESL and foreign-born students and for its honest depiction of their struggles. Professor Rossicone and her SJU students, with the support of Associate Dean Regina Mistretta, worked alongside the filmmaker Jean-Michel Dissard to facilitate discussion of the film’s themes. SJU Office of Admissions also provided an overview of St. John’s English as a Second Language programs, its special connection to international students. Dr. Robert Fanuzzi remarked, “Many of the students are new to this country. It was a stirring sight to see almost every continent on the planet represented in our own Kiernan Suite.”
The high school students’ day at St. John’s culminated with a tour of the Staten Island campus and an introduction to the exhibit, “Sandy Ground at St. John’s.” The “I Learn America” film and partnership with the Staten Island English Language program was a part of St. John’s Staten Island campus’s educational outreach and commitment to providing college readiness for all.