Daniel Nadler’s desire to build bridges between Toronto’s underprivileged children and much-needed education probably has a better chance than most of becoming reality.
His idea to connect kids with educational resources has support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-something that could give him a giant leg up.
Nadler’s initiative uses MSKnowledge, a tutoring program he devised that uses MSN Messenger internet messaging technology to connect children from underprivileged neighborhoods with volunteer university students.
Nadler is a political science graduate student at the University of Toronto who appears to be filled with concentrated energy. MSKnowledge is Nadler’s brainchild, born out of his experience volunteering at Regent Park’s community center.
Regent Park, one of North America’s largest public housing developments, was originally designed in the late 1940s as a self-contained neighborhood. Today, its structure is composed of crumbling buildings and neglected streets.
Children from seven to nine years of age make up 35 per cent of Regent Park’s population, which is high above the Toronto’s average of about 17.5 per cent.
Regent Park does not have a neighborhood high school, however, so children are bused to another district to go to school.
“These students often fail their courses, or else face significant social and economic barriers to high achievement,” said Nadler.
Nadler sees technology as a something that can “bridge the distance between the tower and the country, if only for an hour a day.” MSKnowledge, can assist poor neighborhoods by exposing residents to resources-university-educated students, for example-that can help them meet and surpass expectations.
Volunteer university students are assigned titles that are related to their majors, such as “MSKnowledge Math 1” or “MSKnowledge English 64”. Children at library computer labs and community centers are able to “link up” with these tutors online, who can explain things like functions and prime numbers and offer feedback on basic public school concepts.
Children set their Messenger status to “available” when they are ready to study or have questions, and tutors from Yale or U of T can begin chatting. Conversations are scanned to prevent any personal information from being exchanged.
“The ghetto can’t and won’t come to Starbucks, study halls, and dorm rooms, but it is an unacceptable waste-like not eating the crusts during a famine-to eschew and ignore untapped armies of collegiate humanitarians simply because they haven’t already found their own way to the ghettos,” Nadler said.
For more information or to volunteer contact Daniel Nadler at
