Anna has always had a desire to contribute to the community, especially as it relates to supporting young children. As a parent, she was at her children’s school so often that the administration reached out to her when a job opened up. That offer led to Anna going back to school to secure a teaching certificate, ultimately leading to a long career in early childhood education. Fast forward to 2020, Anna gave up teaching due to the COVID pandemic; Zoom-based instruction simply didn’t blend well with her teaching style. A fellow teacher told Anna about Brilliant Detroit, which she had been recommending to families. Anna was looking for programs for her granddaughter Gianna who was three at the time. Brilliant seemed like it could be a great fit. She wanted Gianna to have social opportunities. Having grown up speaking “Spanglish,” it was important to Anna that Gianna have chances to speak and learn Spanish. Anna herself developed her Spanish skills from her students and understood the importance of immersion.
Anna visited the Springwells hub and saw how the moms supported one another. She immediately liked the feeling in the house. She was soon a regular at the Springwells hub, mostly visiting for programs for Gianna like Play and Learn, Early Explorers, and music and science classes. Anna loved watching Gianna grow, at first she stood and watched, but quickly she mingled with the other children. She learned some Spanish from the other kids and taught them English in turn. Anna says that with certain things like colors, when you ask Gianna about them, she now answers in Spanish. Anna did attend some programs for adults as well such as cooking classes.
Anna visited the Springwells hub and saw how the moms supported one another. She immediately liked the feeling in the house. She was soon a regular at the Springwells hub, mostly visiting for programs for Gianna like Play and Learn, Early Explorers, and music and science classes. Anna loved watching Gianna grow, at first she stood and watched, but quickly she mingled with the other children. She learned some Spanish from the other kids and taught them English in turn. Anna says that with certain things like colors, when you ask Gianna about them, sIn those first few years, Anna’s background as an educator was unknown to the Brilliant Detroit staff. It was only after they connected with her on Facebook that they learned that she was a passionate, former teacher.
When the Springwells hub manager was set to go on maternity leave, she asked Anna if she could lend her expertise by leading the Play and Learn and Stories and STEM programs. Anna was happy to jump in. As she put it, “I’m an educator and that’s just it.” To better prepare for leading the classes, she even went back to her former employer to learn more about what the younger kids need as she would be working with 0-2 year olds, not the 3-5 year olds she was more familiar with. She made sure to understand the lesson plans. For some of the science lessons, she Googled things in the night to be perfectly prepared the next day.
For Anna, leading programs at the Springwells and Southwest hubs is the perfect opportunity. She’s continuing to learn as she teaches and facilitates and loves how leading programs gets her out of the house. She enjoys equipping parents with the tools they need to steward their children’s success. Anna says, the science programs keep her sharp and that she’s always learning something new. She appreciates the more casual environment of programs at Brilliant – “I’m not the teacher, this is not a school. There’s no Ms. Anna, just Anna is sufficient.”’
Anna is one of many people who first connected with us as a participant and then went on to support our programs, operations, and outreach. Brilliant Detroit inspires growth and a desire to give back by truly working for, by, and with communities. When you give to Brilliant Detroit, you’re providing the tools, spaces, and connections that make stories like Anna’s possible — where one person’s gift keeps on giving to hundreds more. Check out our Giving Tuesday page and “give the gift of giving” today!