WHAT A ROLLER COASTER RIDE THIS HAS BEEN!

I am Professor Poe and have worked with this group of motivated students on Project The Real Enslavement. I am a professor at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and Technology Director at New Media Technology Charter School in Philadelphia, I have taught many years on the elementary and secondary levels. Being involved with the program and these students has been a truly rewarding experience for me. I co-teach (coach) the Lincoln University Upward Bound Trio ThinkQuest class and have done so for the past three years. It is good to be back coaching for TQI.

We were honored to have our website enter ThinkQuest International competition. After we were given the opportunity to compete in TQI, I looked at some of the prior winning sites and was overwhelmed at the professionalism and thoroughness of them. The sites were impressive and challenging to me, as a coach. Were my students’ skills sufficient to compete with students from schools with apparently more resources dedicated to technological and academic rigor? That was a daunting question. The final assessment revealed that our team met the challenge by putting their heart and soul into this project. They overcame many obstacles, including many without computers, and burst through many boxes that attempted to confine their creative genius. Their reading, writing and comprehension skills were challenging, but overcome by their collective will to achieve and succeed. As a result, those skills greatly improved. Our participating students have matured academically, socially, mentally, politically and emotionally. They are not the same as they were when they began this process many months ago. They have grown for the better.

I would like to thank the Upward Bound staff, especially Mr. Bailey who never said, “No,” to any request made for the project. His support has made my job much easier. His dedication to the students and their growth and development is priceless.

I thank my assistant coach, Mjumbe. While working at the University of Pennsylvania and attending graduate classes there, he found time to once again assist us in our lofty endeavor competing in ThinkQuest International. He is invaluable for our team aiding in areas I am unfamiliar with so that the project could continue unabated by inevitable glitches. I thank the students for their tireless work on this project. It was their creative genius and openness to new ideas that made this all possible. To them I say, “We made it and CUNSF!” Finally, to my family, I thank them for being understanding of the time, energy and effort that this undertaking demanded of me over these many months; especially to my husband, who shared his expertise with our project that gave it the scholarly edge necessary for success.