Hope Partnership for Education hosted a ribbon cutting for the Quint Learning Center, a newly renovated learning area and library opened in Hope’s Education Center (2601 N 11th St.). The area will provide middle school students, alumni, and adult learners new areas to study and collaborate. They will have access to eight new computers as well as a smart board, and many donated books in the previously unused space. The Quint family backed the creation of the center in honor of their parents, George and Barbara Quint, who were long time advocates of education.

   “My brothers and I found it an easy decision to donate funds to Hope for the purpose of building a learning center at the school to honor our late parents,” said Andrew Quint, M.D. “For as long as any of us can remember, the two of them valued their schooling above all else, recognizing the experiences as a gift that made everything in life that followed both possible and meaningful.”

   “Both were unassuming, humble, and affable people who always struck us as profoundly grateful for the opportunities their educations provided,” Dr. Quint continued. “We know they’d be inspired by the accomplishments of Hope students that, similarly, arise from an understanding of the transforming power of a quality education.”

   George Quint (1919-2009) grew up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of the owner of a small men’s clothing shop. That line of work was supposed to be his destiny, but he was allowed to apply to one college, which he did—the local school, that happened to be Harvard. He was in the same class as John F. Kennedy, Pete Seeger and Adlai Stevenson, a considerable source of pride, though for economic reasons he lived at home. After the Second World War, he made his way to the financial industry in New York and ended up as a vice-president of Merrill Lynch.

   Barbara Gilder Quint (1928-2012) always said her years at Vassar College defined her sense of self and her potential. She made her mark in the financial world by becoming one of the first female brokers, and she later went on to become the financial editor of Glamour magazine and Family Circle.

   The mission of Hope Partnership for Education is to break the cycle of poverty through education. Founded by Sisters of Mercy and the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, Hope Partnership is 15 years old as an organization and 13 years old as a school. The Education Center operates a private, independent middle school (grades 5-8), where most students enter several grade levels behind, and an adult school (adult basic education, GED) to serve families in North Philadelphia. Also offered is the Graduate Support Program, which focuses on successfully transitioning students into quality high schools that meet their potential. The program offers Hope alumni academic and social support throughout their high school years, and aid in choosing, applying for, and meeting the requirements for college acceptance or successful entry into the workplace. Hope Partnership operates an extended day/extended year model 9 hours a day, 11 months a year. Beyond its academic program, the school offers enrichment activities, one-to-one tutoring, and community service projects that foster the personal and intellectual development of all its students. Hope Partnership also provides monthly family education programs and special interest courses on computer basics and other topics of interest to our parents and neighbors.

   The high school graduation rate for Hope alumni is over 95 percent, compared to 39 percent in this Eastern North Philadelphia neighborhood. Parents pay an average of $20/month in family contributions to send their child to Hope; if this amount is unaffordable, parents may opt to volunteer their time to support the school. •