Tutoring Program Receives Second Award
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The international law firm of McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce that its Washington, D.C. office received the D.C. Public School's "School-To-Career" (STC) Championship Award for its tutoring partnership with Bowen Elementary. Currently, more than 50 of the Firm’s D.C. lawyers and staff tutor second graders at Bowen Elementary School in reading and related skills on a weekly basis. McDermott Will & Emery was one of six groups to receive the award as part of the STC program, "Making the Connection Today for a Successful Tomorrow."
"Those that volunteer from McDermott always look forward to our weekly session with the students and are very appreciative of this recognition," said Paul Pantano. "This award is a testament to the students, the heart of this program and our outreach. We are delighted to have the chance to help young students with their learning skills and provide an ideal mentoring environment."
McDermott, Will & Emery was nominated by Dr. Primas, the reading facilitator and tutoring coordinator at Bowen. The nomination identified the reach of the partnership, which has provided "individualized guidance and support to over 300 students," as well as the volunteers’ "unfaltering determination to provide the one-on-one tutoring." Dr. Primas also commented on the academic growth that has ensued since McDermott’s involvement with Bowen: "As a result of this partnership our second grade test scores have shown growth, with children developing a love for reading, a better appreciation of themselves and others, and an established direction for their goals in life."
In June 2001, McDermott’s Washington, D.C. office received an Outstanding Achievement Award in Public Education from the Washington, D.C. Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights (a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization) for its tutoring partnership with Bowen Elementary. Following this recognition McDermott, Will & Emery established similar tutoring/mentoring programs for its lawyers and staff in five of its U.S. offices - Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and New York.
