>> From WXXI News.

This is Connections.

I'm Racquel Stephen filling in for Evan Dawson.

For the month of March, the nation celebrates the women who made great historical achievements throughout the years.

It's Women's History Month, and while we acknowledge and appreciate the work of all our pillars and foremothers like Susan B Anthony and Harriet Tubman and the Kamala Harris's, I wanted to spend this hour spotlighting women here in Rochester, whose contributions may go unnoticed, but who I believe are making history right now as we speak.

So I invited two of those women to join me today to share their stories and what it feels like to be a changemaker in the present.

For the first half hour, I'll be joined with Hani Ali.

She is a Somalian woman who migrated to Rochester almost two decades ago and is now helping more than 200 refugees and their families with mental health resources and other essential services.

Her, or her organization is called Mental Health Education and Legal Code for refugees, Inc.

and for the last 30 minutes, we will get to know Brittany Rumph, the co-founder of the only all girls elementary charter school in Monroe County that places an emphasis on Stem education.

But we will go more in detail in the later half of the show with Brittany.

Right now we're.

We're joined by Hani Ali, the founder of Melcor.

Hey, honey, how are you?

>> Hi, how are you?

Rocky.

>> How are you?

And to her left we have Julia Kostner, one of her volunteers.

Hi, Julia.

Thank you for joining us.

Thank you.

And in studio, also, we have Kaylee Ziegler, the office administrator.

Hi, Kaley.

How are you?

Nice to see you again.

>> Nice to see you.

>> Thank you, ladies, for joining me for this conversation and being a woman making history in Rochester right now.

Hani.

Ali.

How does it feel for me to say that about you?

>> It feels great.

Yeah, yeah, I'm honored.

>> Thank you.

And tell us, tell us about your, your, your background and how you came to Rochester to be in Rochester.

>> I I was in a refugee camp in Uganda for almost 16 years.

I migrated here in Rochester, New York as a refugee in 2007.

And ever since then, I went to high school here, kind of try to fit in and educate myself and find the dream of America.

Yeah.

And I worked myself up until social work master's degree right now.

Recently graduated from Brockport and founder and executive director of Melcor.

>> Yes.

And Melcor, how long has Melcor been been around and what made you start this organization?

>> Melcor has been around since June 28th, 2025.

Wow.

we're fairly new, but we've made a lot of noise.

As you guys can see and hear.

and the community, it has come about me working in the field in the city of Rochester.

Small nano nonprofit organizations where I have got most of my experience and understood the barriers that was going on in the community.

first would be Mary's place refugee outreach.

That's where I initially started and kind of understanding what was going on in the barrier of not having mental health services available and how it was affecting my community and individuals and didn't have no one to talk to, how to cope and find a safe home.

So I worked myself up to Catholic Feminist Center and kind of went around everywhere I was with the Greater Rochester Health homes and kind of educate, again, like skills and education and understanding the system and the policy around the social work.

And I kind of my dream was to open something like Mary's place.

so that's why I've worked triple and is fully invested financially and my whole time.

And to my baby nellcor.

>>, Melcor and Melcor you, you're, you're funding this yourself, correct?

>> Yes.

And small donations from the community.

>> Wow, wow.

And I know we talked a little bit about mental health in your, in your culture, right?

And how that's not really talked about.

Can you, can you speak a little bit more on, on how mental health is, is received?

>> I think mental health in general is a, there's a big stigma around it in all cultures, specifically with the refugee, we are traumatized already.

we come from war.

We're in trauma already in a flying from our countries.

I have never seen my country.

I don't know how it looks like.

So migrating war and being a refugee camp learning a whole new culture.

We hold a lot of trauma from losing families, watching our families get killed in front of us.

And the trauma is really big and we're quietly holding and praying.

and not expecting someone is listening to us.

The goal is just to find a home in a space where it's safe.

And that's how I ended up here as a refugee.

finding a safety and a freedom of just being in a place where I can educate myself, work and learn and give back to the community.

The, the trauma around mental health is there's a big barrier culturally, you're not allowed to speak about certain things.

You're not allowed to share what's going on in the house.

It's kind of a family secret, but it kind of affects you when, you know, it gets to the part where like, it's really, really bad and now you don't know where to go for help.

We see that in teenagers specifically because there's a culture differences and adults are coming in with enforcing their old culture where they're in a United States and adapting the United States culture.

So we're trying to be the barrier there and bridge that gap for families.

But there's a lot around mental health with men around, with women not being able to speak, not being able to seek for help with the religion being a big part of it as well.

But the religion kind of does not explain to not seek for help or not understand your body, what is going through and you know how to even have a safe home and healthy home.

It doesn't say, don't do that, but there is culture and religion confusion there where people are scared to seek for help because there's reputation that plays a part in the community and mental health, like you're crazy and you know, you're, you know, substance use or you're kind of covering or brushing off your child and that, oh no, my son is fine or my daughter is fine, but they really are going through a lot and traumatizing your home.

So we're going in to identify those things.

And yes, we're not going to share that with the community, but we're going to try to educate you how to seek for help and kind of provide services without being public and respecting those cultures.

>> And as a community receiving your, your resources.

>> Yes, absolutely.

Absolutely.

We we're everywhere in courts and home at schools, out in the community.

and I thank my community for giving me the trust as a young teenager growing in the city of Rochester, as they see I'm getting older and I have family of my own.

I have five children and a husband.

so they've always been reaching out to me.

So now it's a safe open space where I can provide for them.

So we've touched a lot a lot of DV that is not spoken about specifically in certain cultures.

>> Yeah.

And DV domestic violence.

Yes, yes.

And behind you, right, is a group of powerful women as well.

Absolutely.

Most of your volunteers are women.

Absolutely.

Well happy Women's History Month to all of you.

I have here Kaley and Julia two of two.

They both work with you, Julia, as a volunteer.

tell me about the work that you do there at Melcor.

>> You can go ahead.

>> Either one of you.

Yeah.

>> so I'm an office administrator, so I'm there to kind of help with things like case management with our new social care network.

and then things.

Oops, sorry, I got nervous.

Things like you know, greeting clients, doing intakes.

just, you know, being a happy kind face to be in the.

>> Office.

>> And you, you started off as an intern.

>> I did.

>> And you decided to stay full time.

>> Yes I did.

>> What about what Hani is doing?

Made you want to just stay here permanently?

>> Well, I'd kind of talked about it the last time we talked, but it's the passion.

you know, I definitely wanted to be in this field, and I got such a great opportunity to get to watch somebody not only run her own non-for-profit, which was such a beautiful process to get to be involved in and get to see, you know, everything that goes within that, but also get to see somebody who loved the community they were working with so much that they were, you know, doing whatever they could to make sure that they were making a great impact.

>> Yeah.

And Julie, as a volunteer tell me about the work you do and the programs that Melcor offers that you're involved in.

>> Yeah.

So I started off as a volunteer just or sorry, as an intern, just like Kaley.

>> So you just recruit people.

So if you become a volunteer intern at Melcor, you're going to stay.

That's what you're saying, right?

That's the pattern.

>> Yeah.

We can't leave.

>> Yeah.

>> yeah, so I, I've really helped plan the programs that we began to offer once we started as interns, one of them being the youth program.

So once a week for a couple hours, youth from it really started with kids, refugee kids that live around the office coming.

And then we've recruited more that live further distances.

But our goal with that program is to teach, you know, social emotional learning, character development.

So like teamwork, let's say, and then professional development for those older kids resume building career exploration, finding summer jobs, things like that.

and that is also supported by other volunteers as well.

Other educators.

and then our women's health group, we just started that we had an interest session on Valentine's Day and we had about 25 women from multiple different cultures come and really, really tell us what they want to learn about their health and what they're going through.

Yeah.

So that's going to be held once a month.

And we've had a lot of interest in that.

And, you know, seeing how Hani spearheads these programs, I've been lucky enough to be able to to make them become a reality.

But it really starts with her.

>> Yeah.

And Hani, I know the work that you're doing, I know is rewarding for you to help these refugees find all these resources.

But I also know like with this political climate, you're probably facing a lot of backlash.

a lot of challenges.

Can you, can you speak on any of those, any of the negatives or that you've been encountering as, as you do this work?

>> yeah, we've been targeted especially me being a Somali woman.

I have been closely being targeted so much.

but I think I have so much positive around me that outdo the negative.

So it it's there.

Yeah.

But we don't really pay attention to it, but we are aware as far as safety nets.

And so we come up with a lot of protocols for our office and door knock door locked policies, number one.

And that's because we've experienced physical altercation right at the center as well.

But that does not stop our goal and our vision.

I don't think I am stoppable unless God says so.

So I believe in that.

And I think the, like I said, the positive outdoes the negative.

Yeah.

So and I have a community that believes and supports me.

I have interns that actually took leadership.

And I want to thank Julia specifically for trusting and believing in me and continuously and actually securing us our first grant for the youth mentorship program.

So thank you.

Oh, with the greater Rochester Community Foundation.

>> So you just received your first grant?

>> Absolutely.

>> Wow.

Yes.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

So and with that grant money, you said you're working with the youth program.

>> So it wasn't already an existing program.

So we requested for funds to help within that.

So we and me and her specifically worked on it.

And our grant writer who kind of revised it, but it was the first one we submitted and we got it.

>> Yeah.

So how does that make you feel as far as the work that you're doing?

Do you?

>> I, we, we, I think speaking for all of us and I myself, I feel accomplished being open in a short amount of time frame and not even being a year old.

And we have worked and we have been in the community actually doing the work and not writing it on paper and saying, we're doing this.

We're actually physically out there and showing up that we are doing the work.

>> Yeah.

And in the community that you're serving, right, what are some of the things that they really come to you?

What are some of the, the main resources that they're asking for?

And, in programs that they're, they're asking for, I know you do legal documentation work and help with that.

How is.

>> So we're partnered with different organizations such as legal Aid Society of Rochester.

We seek for advocacy around that.

But our main right now due to the crisis that's going on, of course, is like, you know, documentation, a lot of employment IDs, social security cards, everyone who didn't have a regular state I.D., we are applying and filling those paperwork for them just to make sure that they have something, if they ever encounter anyone or Ice in the community.

So we're educating that, giving out cards that have in their language.

and in English on the back of it to speak about their rights and their amendments.

also main thing that we've seen was health insurance and a lot of our focused unexpected was DV domestic violence.

And specifically when individuals are not documented, the resources in the city of Rochester, in the county is limited for those specific populations.

So food has been okay.

We've had pantries that we could get help from, but home and housing was the biggest thing.

And, you know, the small necessities.

>> Yeah.

>> Such as phone, phone bill, where, you know, we need to contact a specifically with DV, we need to know if they're okay, they need to call us.

So making sure that those services are in place and not having specific funds to help you with that has been our biggest barrier and our high need.

>> Yeah.

And but now, now with the grant approval, are we we're going for more.

>> We're absolutely going for more and seeking for more.

And we are hopeful that, you know, we have some type of doors open.

I think I believe in the team behind me.

I cannot do this by myself.

And I'm grateful not only for the two of here, but the ones in the office that are actually working hard and showing up every day.

>> And Julia and Kaley seeing Hani do this work on the front line right during during this time, right?

This pivotal time.

How does that affect what the work that you're doing?

How does it how does it make you show up for her?

>> Yeah, I, I'll say it makes me want to work ten times harder, like seeing Hani do what she does and connect with her community is so inspiring.

And I think she's, she's doing something for her community every hour of the day.

Like even when she's sleeping, I feel like she's dreaming of new programs and new visions.

so it's, it's really inspiring and it makes me want to make those dreams become realities and really find a way to and help support that in any way that I can.

>> And Kaley is your birthday today?

>> Yes it is.

>> You're showing up for happy birthday to you and you're showing up for Hani and and Melker today.

That says a lot about about how you feel about this organization and its mission.

>> Yeah, well, I think they're not just like coworkers, but it's also become a family, you know what I mean?

We spend a lot of time together.

I love the work we do.

It's very inspiring.

so there's no one else I'd want to celebrate it with.

Thank you.

>> Yeah.

And I want to talk a little bit more about the political climate right now, right?

And how it's affecting what you're doing.

And I know you went into, you know, safety concerns and your community is feeling a little, some safety concerns.

Are there anything else they're voicing now and anything else that, that you're seeing that's being manipulated by this political climate?

That's that's kind of helping you do what you're doing or changing what you're doing.

>> Honestly, it all goes back to safety.

The number one thing is safety and resources would be the second one, right?

so we're putting our team together that's going live.

April, it's an outreach team.

And with the political climate right now, a lot of the individuals are being detained, but we don't know where their status is and what legal advice that they have access to when they're when they're detained.

And even with the release, with the incident that just happened in Buffalo, it kind of puts so much fear in me that, you know, if that could have happened to one of my clients, I would not I don't think I could get over that.

not knowing when they're going to be released and if they do get released, not knowing how to get back home.

So are we giving them a bus passes?

How are you guys releasing these individuals?

If you was to release them?

So we're putting an outreach team not only for the city of Rochester and doing a door knock on families and checking on them.

But we're planning to go once a month to the detention center in Batavia to see if anyone, of course, not knowing the schedule of their discharges, just assuming and hoping that we do encounter someone and just creating that.

Volunteers to invest in their time to see if we can help anyone who's.

>> So if someone wants to volunteer for your organization or, or contact you, because I've had a lot of people since I wrote the article reach out to me and say, hey, she's a powerhouse.

I want to get her on an advisory board.

I want to help donate to this cause how, how would the, the community or the people listening, our listeners get in touch with, with Melker and, and support you and your team with what you're doing?

>> Absolutely.

They can go to our website, mailcorp.

>> we are very active as everything, every move we do, we're posting it on Facebook, Mental Health Education and legal code for refugee rights.

Just look us up, email us, look at our website.

If you're willing to donate, there's a donation button.

If you want to get involved.

There's a, there's a, just a small demographic of what your interest is that you can complete in there.

But we are definitely not only seeking for funds, but we're seeking for the individuals, the volunteers coming in because that's really the push is that if we have a team we can, we can do everything we can.

>> Yeah.

And then being a part of the team, Julia and Kaley, what would you tell the community about, about the joys of volunteering or the benefits of volunteering with, with Hani and Melker?

>> just definitely like get involved.

you know, it doesn't just make you feel good, but it's great to see like the impact you're making in your community as well.

it's a beautiful thing to get to be involved in.

>> Yeah.

I think I would say, you know, Hani a lot like when she builds trust with you, she really allows you to take initiative and have innovation and really support the programs you're interested, you know, a lot of volunteers are, let's say in healthcare, they help with our women's health group or if they're educators, they can help with our youth programming.

We have social workers wanting to volunteer for the community outreach team.

So whatever you're really interested in and what what you have skills in, we're, we're ready to, to get you going.

>> And to the community you serve.

For those who may be listening right now and, and they want to want to take advantage of your resources or want to get in contact with you because they are, they do need, need your help.

what would you say to them that maybe hesitant or afraid to, to.

>> Call us?

if you can't come in, call us, we'll come to you.

So we're not only in the office and if you're, if you're scared to come out, we provide in-home service all the time.

we've seen people that are not, not scared of ice.

There are definitely documented, but yet not willing to come through those doors because of the mental health name.

Right?

Yet we still go to their home and provide these services to them and let them know that, you know, this is the trust we're building from grassroots from home, and we watch them walk in unexpectedly.

So if you can't come to us, we will come to you.

>> And have you had any encounters with with ice at all?

>> Yeah, we had a couple.

Yeah.

But I would say as horrible as they are, it hasn't been horrible.

Yeah.

It was just drive through or a threat or down the plaza that, you know, I made it my business to make sure to go to advocate for that individual.

And the person was released within two hours of going back and forth with them.

So I think we haven't had I, we've had families detained that we service.

Some actually has been deported and some has been released.

but we do the best we can to service individuals and support them however we can.

>> Yeah.

And just speaking to you about this, I could just feel like some of the emotional toll this, this job can, can take on you, right?

but you keep going.

>> I keep going.

I have a husband.

Thank.

Derek Arnold, thank you so much for being patient with me and allowing me.

But I also have children.

I have five children and I have a mother I care for and family that actually looks forward to advocating for them.

A mother who does not speak English and a family who is not aware of a lot of the system and the policy.

So, if I can wake up and do it all over again, it's all God's plan.

And I'm thankful for being present in this moment and continuous to provide service with my community.

That was my goal.

>> And the organization has been running for a year.

>> Less than a year.

>> Less than a year.

>> June 28th will be a year.

>> And I. It's what little and mighty.

Yeah, right.

Small and mighty.

Yes.

So in the next five years, what are.

What are we hoping for?

>> Oh, goodness.

>> That was an answer in itself.

Yeah.

>> I don't know.

But we, I mean, within a two years you can see us again.

We could probably revisit this.

But five I think we could make mountains.

>> Oh oh my gosh.

Hani Ali, the founder of Mental Health Education and Legal Code for refugees, Inc.

located.

What's the address?

>> 803 South Plymouth Avenue.

>> Okay.

And Julia Kostner, one of the volunteers at Melcor and Kaley Ziegler, the office administrator.

Thank you, ladies, for joining us.

I know it's half hour.

I can talk about this all day.

but thank you so much for the work you do and for making history right now, right here in our community and whatever we can do to support you, we will do that at WXXI News.

happy Women's History Month.

>> Thank you so much and we're honored to be here.

Thank you.

>> WXXI we'll take a quick break.

And when we get back, we'll talk with our next spotlight.

Brittany Rumph, the co-founder of Innova Girls Academy right here in Monroe County.

>> I'm Evan Dawson coming up in our second hour.

We bring back a recent conversation with Pastor Jerrard Brown, who is not only a pastor in Rochester and was one of the youngest pastors in the city's history.

He also works at Teen Empowerment.

He counsels youth, and he has a story that you will, I think, find remarkable an amazing story of perseverance, a difficult childhood.

And now he can help other families because he's been there.

His story next, our.

>> Support for your public radio station comes from our members and from Mary Cariola, center, proud supporter of Connections with Evan Dawson.

Believing an informed and engaged community is a connected one.

Mary cariola.org.

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Join us at W Wxxi.org Steven "Stevie" Jones.

Thank you.

>> And we're back with the final half hour of WXXI Connections.

I'm Racquel Stephen filling in for Evan Dawson on this hour.

We are celebrating Women's History Month, and we first spoke with Hani Ali, the founder of Mental Health Education and Legal Code for refugees.

And now we take a look inside.

Innova Girls Academy, the only all girls elementary charter school in Monroe County currently educating more than 200 girls from kindergarten to fourth grade.

Correct.

And with a focus on steam learning, which stands for science, Tech engineering, the Arts and Mathematics.

And joining me for this final half hour is the co-founder of Innova Girls Academy Brittany Rumph.

Hi, Brittany.

>> Hello, hello.

>> And also in studio with us is Lashonda Robinson.

She is the lower school director of curriculum and Instruction.

Hello.

Wow, that's a title?

Yes.

When did you guys make that one up?

That's a title there.

So Innova Girls Academy Brittany, tell us a little bit about your background in education.

>> Absolutely.

I began studying and getting ready to be an educator.

I would say way back as a child, playing, playing school and, as a child, I was brought up in a home and in a family that valued education.

And so not only was I playing, but apparently I was manifesting my destiny.

Yes.

but I studied education locally here at Brockport and then was I have been in various spaces in education from the arts, which is like my, my, my other love, my baby, the arts.

I'm a school of the arts graduate, RCSD graduate in school of the Arts graduate, but I've been in education for about 17 years in the area and doing some work all over the nation actually.

>> Yeah, yeah.

And you have a focus on special education, correct?

>> Yes, yes.

I'm a special educator and dance educator by trade and degree.

>> And you're being modest because you told me that your teaching skills, your strategies, right, were being modeled, you were being a consultant of some sort for other teachers because of how you educate.

>> Absolutely.

education, I guess my style of educating children, especially in the community in which I was raised was noted and followed at my last my last teaching position.

And so there is a renowned educator and consultant, Doug Lemov, who has written plenty of books, including Teach Like a champion and another new one on the Science of Reading.

They noticed my strategies and said, wait, there's something different about not just her results, but her relationship with children.

And so I signed a contract and worked with them for about three years.

They're called the teach like a champion team.

And what they did is essentially followed me around as I was teaching.

And then we studied not only my strategy or taxonomy or what we'd call teacher moves.

but also I was working with the team to study other teacher moves in video and trying to codify that.

So then we can make sure that those or transfer those strategies from teacher to teacher as an instructional coach.

Yeah.

So yes, some of my teaching strategies are in college textbooks, such as teach like a champion, teach like a champion 2.0 and 3.0, and the science of reading.

>> Oh, you were trying to be modest about that.

Your that's history.

Right?

Happy Women's History month.

Oh, mercy.

>> Thank you, thank you, thank you.

>> And you're because I when I visited Innova I was floored by how the teachers were were educating and the girls were responding.

Absolutely.

And it was like music, rhythm, rhythm and just being meeting the kids where they are.

>> Absolutely.

>> And it's beautiful to see.

>> Yeah.

We focus on what we call instruction, our individualized supports.

So our teachers aren't just standing there teaching from a lesson plan.

But if you were to ask our teachers, what, for instance, what letter sounds or what standard each child is working on, they'll be able to tell you.

So we let data drive all of our decision making.

top to bottom in the school.

And we do that.

So it's fun and engaging.

It's elementary school.

So while the teachers are focused on data and ensuring that all kids have their supports and everyone knows their letter sounds and everyone can multiply, we do it in a very rhythmic way.

Yeah.

because we know it works.

>> Yes.

And I had fun watching them learn.

I'm like, oh, I didn't do this in school.

And if you're watching on YouTube, we're showing some photos of inside Innova Girls Academy of some of the young ladies there probably singing along.

and that's Brittany right there.

but Brittany, you told me opening a school was not in your plans at all.

No, ma'am.

You laughed at it.

But now you laugh in the face of danger.

Tell me, like, how did that.

How did that change?

Why did that change?

>> Yeah.

So I, a lot of folks say to me, like, you've achieved your dream.

I'm so proud of you.

And then under my breath, I'm like, this was not my dream.

This was not my dream at all.

In fact, my dream was to be a to go back to school yards and be a dance teacher.

Boom.

Great.

Achieved.

and that would be it.

But my knee had a different story for me as I was studying dance in college.

And I thought about like, what, what are my, what are all my passions?

It was dance and, and the arts dance or excuse me, dance, the arts and education.

So then I moved, I pivoted to the education route.

I was not, I didn't know that people opened schools.

Right.

You know, that there's a district and there's private and there's charter.

But I thought, I thought that charter schools were run by entities like or like entities or corporations or companies, institutions, not people, and certainly not people from the inner city of Rochester.

Right.

but I got a text message actually actually from one of my mentors and they said, hey, have you heard about building excellent schools?

And I said, no.

And she said, well, they're looking at Rochester.

They want to train a leader to open and operate a school and to propose it with the state.

And they have supports.

And I'm like, oh, no, that's not me.

but I wasn't in a, in a place where I did want to pivot.

and so I threw my name out there along the way, doubting myself the whole time, like they won't pick me.

And then I went on to the next round.

>> And the.

>> Next round, they won't pick me.

And then I went on to the next round.

And then I got flown out to building Excellent Schools, which is a nonprofit out of Boston.

they're now called b e s because it's easier.

but and they chose me and they said, and I cried, I said, well, me and they said, yeah, you knew when you flew here for the interview, you had it.

I said, no, but ultimately the reason why I said yes is because some of my experiences in schools in Rochester as both a student and as an educator, I thought it was important.

I'm not going to say thought I knew it was important that if there was another charter school to be open, it should be with someone of the community.

and who has a heart to serve the community because Rochester is tough, like education nationally is tough.

But in Rochester, it's important that you have somebody at the forefront who understands the community and is has a heart to serve the community.

And it was important to me that community voice shaped every part of Innova.

>> Yeah.

And you said in the article you know, reading here in Rochester is life or death.

>> It is, it is.

So I'm glad that you.

Right.

Yeah.

Had got you felt the warmth.

You felt the love.

You saw the excitement on both our students and teachers faces as you walk through when folks walk through, they're like, who trains your teachers?

And I'm.

>> Like, I do.

It's me.

Yeah.

>> It's me.

I train them and I'm glad that you felt the warmth because for me, it is daunting.

Right?

it could be scary if I leaned into if I leaned into fear, which I don't, it could be scary knowing that you have 200 plus children, two, 200 plus families who are entrusting you with their children and their children's destiny.

And we know all too well the statistics of our students in Rochester.

In fact, I was a student of who grew up in the one four, 621 area.

And we know what the statistics say.

And so I know how important it is to read right and be able to do math proficiently in shaping your future opportunities.

so I teach my staff that it's important.

Like I, it's important, the work that we do is important every minute because reading the ability to read is truly life or death in Rochester.

>> And to our listeners, want to remind them that if you do have a comment or question, you can call us at ( 585)263-9994.

As we have this discussion about Innova Girls Academy now.

Lashonda, I want to talk to you about being on the staff.

Right.

And your title.

Let's talk about this title.

I really want to dive into this because I feel like I need to change my title, add a few more words.

lower school director of Curriculum and instruction.

What does that mean at Innova?

>> So at Innova, that means that I am basically like the assistant principal for grades K through two.

It's just a different name.

A lot of words.

Yes.

I make sure that our curriculum is aligned, that our testing and our line, that our teachers are using the standards to plan not only their day to day instruction as well as their intervention, but also making it fun, right?

It's like making sure that the girls have a good time and making sure that the families are involved.

I am their first contact for families.

I help coach K through second grade teachers, making sure that I live and breathe the vision of Innova Girls Academy.

>> And Innova opened in 2023 2023.

It's been three years.

Yeah, right.

And for you, Lashawna, how have you seen have how have you seen the growth like 200 families, over 200 families?

You're, you're helping to build these young women's destinies.

>> It's a joy.

It's an honor.

It's a pleasure to see the impact that the staff and Innova Girls Academy has had on this community.

It's so great for families to come in.

It's great to see an expanding.

The girls who are in second grade now, they were kindergartners and I was like, oh, is that a A or a one?

And now they're reading, they're writing, they're adding, subtracting and multiplying.

Yes.

They're doing all the things.

and it's been beautiful.

But I always say to them, even at the beginning, I'm like, you know, this is founding, so, you know, you have to switch some things, find out what works.

And if it doesn't work, we switch it and make it work, making sure that the families get all the support that they need and making sure staff and students do as well.

>> Yeah.

And yes, because it's fairly new as a baby, it's still a toddler.

Yes.

Right.

So you have to, while you train a toddler, you have to figure out what works.

And what are some things that you had to like, oh, no, that's, that's not going to work here.

Or yeah, we're going to add that.

What are some things that you had that you figured like, oh no, that's not going to work for us.

>> One thing that's unique for us is that so when we were elementary school teachers, we taught everything.

>> Yeah.

>> And so if you think about that like that, that you have to know a lot of lessons.

You, if you're going to be data driven, you have to know a lot of data.

And so it is a lot.

And I think that elementary school teachers only they end up scratching the surface.

If you have to teach all of the subjects, you end up scratching the surface.

So one thing that we were able to do differently is that we are departmentalized just like high school or middle school.

So at every grade level, there is a general education teacher or a special education teacher that's in there all day.

They're the closest thing we have to a traditional elementary school teacher.

But when it's time for Ela, our Ela specialist comes in and leads Ela and the generalist or special education teacher support.

Same thing for math.

When the math block comes, a math specialist comes in and that's for each.

That's at each grade level so that those the Ela and math specialists can truly be like content experts in only focus on supporting students in that one core subject area.

Yeah.

So that's one thing we got to change.

>> And I want to talk about because you started off kindergarten to second.

>> Yes.

>> And then each year you add a grade.

>> Yes.

>> And so you're adding fifth grade next year.

>> Next year.

>> Next year, right.

How is what is, what is that call like?

What is that process called?

>> That's called a slow growth model.

>> Okay.

>> And so we began K through two.

And then it's not that we add a full classroom of new children.

We do welcome some new some children.

But what happens is that cohort that were that were the second graders, they get to lead the way.

So how special is that?

It's like you came in as a second grader and now you're leading the way.

You're going to be our first graduates.

And so our founding families and our founding students take it very seriously.

we don't, we don't have an official student ambassador program, but that's up next.

Yes.

Because they've emerged in leadership our little, our, our founding families, when we get a new student, they're like, can I take her around?

They tell her, you know, they tell the new student all about the school and what we do and what we stand for and what we don't do.

but it's, it's great to watch them grow as what we call little leaders.

They're not our scholars.

They're our little leaders.

>> Oh, this is, this is just great.

This is too cute.

And I, I wish everyone could just take a tour of this and see like, how magical it is to have all these young girls in the classroom really knowing their stuff.

>> Oh, they know.

>> Their stuff.

Oh, they're knowing their stuff.

>> We actually do have an open door policy.

If anyone wanted to you know, if anyone wanted to take a tour because I often get I get pushed like, hey, you got more folks have to see what you're doing.

And I'm like, oh, we just want to get it right.

Yeah.

But we do have an open policy.

So if folks were interested, they would just call and set up a tour and usually I'll do it.

Or someone on the leadership team.

>> Yeah.

And if you're driving down Monroe Avenue, you might, you may see a bunch of little girls with purple.

>> Purple, purple.

>> Purple collared shirts, right?

Purple polos outside playing.

and what's the address?

>> We're at 546 Oxford Street.

>> 546 Oxford Street.

And it's just I, I drove, I've driven by the school multiple times and I didn't know.

>> That we were in there.

>> That you were there.

And it was, it was your school.

>> Yeah.

There was.

So there's no sign out front.

we can work on that.

Yeah.

There's no sign on there.

Yeah.

I think.

>> It was like, wow, this is a school that Brittany owns.

Like seeing these little girls.

I didn't know it was yours.

And I feel like you need to be out there, right?

This needs to be out there because it's amazing what you're doing.

The only all girls elementary charter school.

>> We're actually the only all girls elementary school period in the county.

>> I happy Women's History month.

>> Yes.

>> That's a way of me saying clock it.

>> Okay.

>> so now now let's talk about steam learning.

>> Yes.

>> Steam learning.

That's your focus, right?

Steam science, tech engineering, arts.

>> And.

>> Math and math.

Oh, yes.

And developing that curriculum.

Lashonda.

because you wanted young women to be exposed to this early, you made that very clear.

Yes.

This was this was a shared interest between both of you.

Steam learning.

Why why expose young girls to engineering and tech at in kindergarten.

>> I take yeah, I think the reason why is because when we look at the, when we look at the world where the world is going it's an engineering, it's tech in those are the areas where we don't see a lot of women.

And I would argue it's because they don't feel like they belong or they're intimidated.

so we want to make sure that our girls are ready.

They begin coding and doing coding activities as early as kindergarten.

Right.

and so we began that because we want to make sure that our girls are comfortable and have the experiences where they can show up in whatever space and show up as those confident problem solvers as we know that they are.

And so it was important for them to, for us to pour into that early on into kindergarten.

And so steam for us is a core course, just like Ela and math.

Everyone leaves and goes to their steam class, where usually they are presented with a problem.

and then they design something, often in groups to then solve that problem.

And they use the engineering process.

They go through, they design it, they try things out.

If it doesn't work, they go back to the drawing board and they get frustrated sometimes.

Right.

And that's okay.

Like that is all great practice.

And that starts for us in kindergarten because we want them to show up as the bold little leaders that they are.

now and forevermore.

>> Yeah.

And Lashaunda, tell me, how do you feel about this steam learning and having it a major part of your curriculum?

>> I feel that it's wonderful because the leaders, they need that exposure, right?

To be ready for real world experiences and no better way to start when they're young so they can begin to learn it, love it, enjoy it, and then go out and make a big difference in the community, in whatever career that they choose.

>> Yeah, little leaders doing coding.

What, what, how do you, how is coding translated to kindergarten to littles?

>> Yeah.

they're, they have a, they have robots.

that at first they, we break coding all the way down to you are trying, you are telling a computer what to do.

And I mean, if you ask me, girls around the world and we love to tell things what to do.

Yes.

So you're telling this computer what to do.

So they start off on paper as a puzzle.

Where do I need to move next?

And then they do it kinesthetically they stand up and we have these arrows.

And where if we are trying to get from point A to point B, where do I tell my friend to go next?

And then they move on to these little blocks of that have code on them, and then they put them together to move their robot.

Cody Robie from one area to the next.

And then as they grow older, our third and fourth graders are on coding programs and they are just doing it on the computer.

So we break it, break it all the way down to you're telling a computer what to do.

And we love to boss folks around.

>> Yeah.

And and you.

You were very you're very proud of your special education.

Department.

Yes.

Right.

And, and it's, it's, it's novel in a sense.

Where did you say you, you were the only school that charter school or girls school that focused on special education or why is it so important for you, this special education program.

>> Special education for us as a charter school, I would.

Well, for one charter, I think there are many.

I know I'm going to stop saying I think I know there are many misconceptions about charter schools.

Charter schools are public schools.

instead of being the.

The big difference is instead of being governed by the local school district, it's we have more accountability and we're, we are governed directly from Nilsen, which is the New York State Education Department.

and so one of the misconceptions is that charter schools do not serve students with special education.

And that couldn't be more wrong.

it's illegal to say, I'm not going to serve students with special education needs.

Like absolutely not.

And I'm a special educator at heart and by trade.

And so I'm really proud of our special education program, which is inclusive.

and we ensure that all we work with the local district to make sure and in our staffing that we have in our building to make sure that everyone is welcome at Innova and that everyone has the right supports at Innova.

And so it's no different.

It's truly we, we have individualized supports for everyone, whether they're in the special education, if they have special ed, if they qualify for special education or not, everybody gets their needs met.

>> Yeah.

And when I interviewed one of the two of the little leaders, right, literally.

>> And Jade and.

>> Jayden liberty said, hey I love the manicure parties and I love the pizza parties and they're having a ball over there.

That's social.

Emotional learning is amazing at Innova.

But she also mentioned testing, yes.

Testing.

Yes.

How are your girls doing with state testing?

>> So it was our first.

We just finished our first testing round.

and our second graders did did the best they could.

They did the best they could.

They were our first year of testing.

Our students were only with us.

It was our second graders.

They were with us for less than a year and a half before they did their testing.

And so they did the best they could.

it's only grow from here, but yes, you can't measure anyone's greatness from one test.

It's just not.

I don't believe in that.

However, when she talked about testing notice she wasn't upset.

No, she wasn't scared.

She didn't have anxiety.

She was talking about the test prep theme.

So just like everything else we think we know that we have to educate the whole child.

And so we look at testing differently.

Is it something we have to do to keep the charter open?

Yes we do.

Do we have to prepare?

Yes we do.

So we give it a theme.

She was telling you about the SpongeBob theme.

And so girls work each day hardest on their lowest scoring standards, and they earn prizes each day.

And they earn prizes as a team.

And they earn prizes as an individual to work towards these parties that she talked about.

And so she's talking about parties, and she's talking about the theme, and we're in the back, you know, every day with the teachers, looking at the data, looking at the data, looking at the data, what do we need to work on?

What do we need to work on?

But for her.

>> It's about.

>> It's about earning the Krabby.

>> Patties meeting, meeting them where.

they are.

>> But they're working really hard.

>> Yes, this whole.

>> Holistic approach and you have and you have fun.

You work hard.

You play hard.

Yeah, but because they're playing so hard and that reward, they're like, okay, I can do this.

Yes.

Let's go.

Yeah.

They come down to their intervention groups.

They're like, you're late, Miss Robinson.

I'm like, what?

I'm just going across the hall.

Give me one second.

Yeah.

So that's how it is.

We want them to to love learning and be ready.

Yeah, yeah.

>> And that whole the holistic approach.

Yes.

Right.

Where they're learning everything.

>> Yes.

>> Everything matters.

>> Yes.

>> And I know when you, when we, when I, when we did the tour, you stood in the hallways and I asked you how does it, does it still feel surreal?

Yeah.

How does it feel every day when you open those doors?

And what minutes to 7 a.m., right.

And you close around 6:37 p.m.

you're there 12 hours.

How does it feel?

Does it still feel surreal that you opened a school?

The the Brittany Rumph that didn't want to open a school?

Like, no, this is not my dream.

Has it become a dream come true?

>> Yeah.

>> It has.

And I'm going to not cry, but when I. That's okay.

When I step in the hallways, it does feel very surreal.

And, and I look down the hallway, I can look straight down the hallways and I'm like, oh my gosh, I opened a school.

>> Yeah.

>> Co-founded, co-founded.

I co, I did open a school I co-founded with my co-founders, Lindsay Swanson, but I opened a school and, and I opened a school in my community and they're thriving.

Yeah.

Our girls are learning and thriving.

They love it there.

And their families day by day.

And trust me to be a part of their village.

and I'm glad that my, I crossed paths with, with my little leaders in their families.

I know, and I, and I believe divinely we, we crossed paths on purpose.

and somebody I was at an interview before as, as a teacher and someone said to me, you know, education is hard in Rochester.

What will you tell yourself on your toughest days to keep you going?

And that my aunt, no one had ever asked me that.

And my answer replays in my head often, and even now it says somebody did it for me.

You know, I'm for folks who don't know.

Like I grew up on Conkey Avenue, and then I moved to Hudson and so somebody did it for me.

And so I'm just giving back.

I'm just doing what somebody did for me.

>> Yeah.

And you said, you know, you have your, your, your children, but you said you have 200 other girls.

>> That's 200.

>> Your.

>> Legacy girls.

>> That's going to be your legacy.

>> That's going to outlive me.

>> That's going to outlive you.

Oh, thank you, Brittany Rumph for making history right here in Rochester right now.

thank you for joining us.

Brittany Rumph, the co-founder of Innova Girls Academy, Lashonda Robinson, the vice principal.

>> There you go.

Yeah.

>> Of Innova Girls Academy.

Thank you for joining us on Connections and Happy Women's History Month.

Thank you for our listeners for tuning in to WXXI Connections.

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