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Community Advisory Board
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The Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program
Dr. Martin Perlmutter, Director
TEACHH: Jewish Student Union Mentoring Program TEACHH: The Experience of A Career with Helping Hands TEACHH, The Experience of A Career with Helping Hands started in Fall 2003. Begun with Loren Ziff’s vision and his past experience mentoring college students, the program was brought to reality with the help of its founding team consisting of a community advisory board comprised of Dennis Fisher, Spencer Lynch, Ann Stein, and Ellen Steinberg, chaired by Loren Ziff, with Marty Perlmutter as faculty advisor and Sadie Fox as program coordinator. We met throughout the summer of 2003 to hammer-out the details for the first semester. TEACHH’s mission is to 1) ease the transition from academics to work for our students by helping them develop the necessary life and professional skills and 2) create personal relationships with professionals in and out of the College environment so that students can experience the workplace. One of the appeals of TEACHH is its flexibility, which is a requirement if we are to attract students to it. The program’s first group of students had a number of different reactions to TEACHH. Amy Speck, a junior majoring in psychology, said her “favorite part of this semester was helping a five-year old with extreme ADHD make 3’s on a piece of paper. Together we were able to focus enough to get the job done!” TEACHH introduced her to Dr. Jonathan Stein, and through him she has been able to set up her independent study project, a requirement of graduating from the Honors Program at the College. “I’m so excited! I was so scared my whole college career about not finding a good, interesting independent study and I wouldn’t have met Dr. Stein if not for the TEACHH program. Amy is actively pursuing her career in psychology. Estee Perlmutter, a junior majoring in Biology, taking
a year away from Haverford College, thought about becoming a nurse.
She was paired with Deborah Williamson, a nurse at MUSC. “TEACHH
is a great idea because it encourages students to think about the
future, and allows them to get exposure to the working world. It’s
easy to get caught up with college, but it’s important to look
ahead. TEACHH allows students this opportunity.” Estee is now
a nurse at MUSC. Overall, the program has been a hit with the student population and the community. It is another way that the Jewish Studies Program and the Jewish Student Union/Hillel are working together to close the gap between college and the community. A majority of the students who participate in TEACHH are not from the greater Charleston area, and it is terrific that we are able to offer them the opportunity not only to help themselves, but also to connect with the wonderful community of Charleston. TEACHH is scheduled to start up again each fall with a new group of recruits. If you have any interest in mentoring a college student, please let us know. It is both fun and a mitzvah. Back to the College of Charleston's Jewish Studies Program homepage
The Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program
Dr. Martin Perlmutter, Director
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