Chappaqua is a community comprised of like-minded individuals who value education highly. Another facet of the community is its desire to provide some of the resources available to its students to those who might otherwise not have access. In 1968 the Chappaqua Summer Scholarship Program – CSSP was created to serve this need. Every year, a group of students from two high schools in the Bronx is invited to attend a college preparatory program for the summers following ninth, tenth and eleventh grades.
Participants reside in a Chappaqua household from Sunday night through Friday morning. Classes are held in one of the school district’s buildings in the morning on Monday through Thursday. This year’s curriculum included a writing class, Shakespeare and robotics. In the afternoons, swimming and tennis are on the agenda. On Fridays, students work on a project at the Burns Film Center. There are also frequent excursions to museums and colleges.
When Chappaqua resident Diane Albert first heard about CSSP from longtime member Diane Quandt, her interest was piqued. She joined the ranks and is currently serving as chair for her fifth year. Albert attributes the success of the program to the community. “The Board of Ed has always been very supportive,” she noted. Counselors at Greeley donate their time to advise the students and members of the community speak about their careers. “We feel it’s one of the best parts of Chappaqua,” Albert said. “It broadens our idea of the world.”
Diane Quandt has housed students for 25 years and is one of the 33 families who housed students during the month of July. She highlighted the fact that, “It’s a relatively small commitment on the part of host families.” Each family provides meals, a room and transportation in the afternoons for two weeks.
For further information consult http://www.chappaquasummerscholarship.org/cssp/ or send an email to dianealbert@gmail.com.