Brian Thompson, Earthen Vessels
by
Cattaliya Snider
4/30/2007
SabbaticalHomes.com is pleased to introduce a new section to our site called “Notable Members.” This section will be used to highlight interesting and noteworthy works of our members. For our first feature, we would like to introduce you to Earthen Vessels, Inc.
Founded in 1980 by Brian Thompson (a SabbaticalHomes.com user) and Marie-Claude Thompson, Earthen Vessels is a nonprofit organization serving at-risk, inner-city youth in the Boston area.
Earthen Vessels offers two complementary programs – a summer camp and a tutoring and mentoring program. The summer camp takes place in the Green Mountain National Forest in Granville, Vermont. The camp offers an intense experience of community life which includes “traditional” camp activities – sports, arts, theater, swimming, games – as well as discussions on conflict resolution, relationships and grief. In addition, all campers participate in camp chores, including cooking, serving and cleaning. Some veteran campers have even returned and become counselors for the next generation.
The school-year tutoring and mentoring program matches inner-city children and teens with Harvard students in long-term supportive relationships. Through weekly sessions, the student and tutor work on academic (reading, writing, math) and life (planning, scheduling, taking responsibility) skills. Program participants have a wide range of academic abilities and emotional problems, and the program seeks to empower each of them to improve their life through education.
Brian Thompson holds a PhD in comparative literature from Harvard University. He is a professor of French at the University of Massachusetts, Boston and president of the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the American Association of Professors of French. For more information on his organization, visit www.earthen-vessels.org.
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