JR Thornton
At its core, education is about more than just test scores. Education is about nurturing children and preparing them to go out into the world. It’s about fostering curiosity, and encouraging a love of learning; about building self-esteem and teaching children to believe in themselves and their untold potential. And In all my life I’ve never seen a better example of a program that does all of those things than Still Waters in a Storm.
I believe that the true benefit of Still Waters vastly exceeds the reading, writing and classroom skills that the children learn from Stephen and his volunteers. At Still Waters the children are provided with a sanctuary from the chaos of their outside worlds. Stephen has created an environment in which their insecurities about learning are wiped away. No longer are they afraid to make mistakes. No longer do they have to be worried that someone might laugh at them when they read their story aloud. The children are taught that learning can and should be fun, and they are given the opportunity to achieve feats they never believed they were capable of. I firmly believe that nothing is more valuable than the kind of confidence and self-worth a child can gain from an experience like that. Not only will it help them succeed in school, but it will help them succeed in life.
It is hard to understand how inspiring a place Still Waters is until you see it for yourself. I’m so glad that I had the chance to visit, and I hope to return soon!