When one door closes, another one opens. In this case, a door had to be closed to make room for the future.
Educational Main Street (EMS) was a program of the Center for Learning and Professional Education in the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions at the University of Hartford.
The program placed University students throughout local schools in the community to assist in tutoring and teaching.
In addition to getting experience with teaching and working with children in the classroom, college students were also able to be exposed to students from many different backgrounds of culture, race or social class.
Previously located where the new Career Services location is at on the second floor of the Gengras Student Union, EMS closed its doors earlier this year at the end of the spring semester.
Former director of Educational Main Street Mary Christensen had been there for the past 15 years but decided it was time to retire. Christensen is also an assistant professor of the Department of Education and is still teaching classes up until she retires at the end of the fall semester.
With no plans to continue with the program after Christensen left, the University decided to close the doors on Educational Main Street.
But as Christensen put it, they’ve had a huge influence in changing and supporting the students.
“After 25 years, Hartford schools have changed a great deal,” Christensen said. “Almost every school has a brand new building, there’s a stronger superintendent and the city of Hartford and a lot of the corporations have been funneling money directly to the school systems.
“Instead of my raising it from them to do work, they just decided to give it to the school system,” Christensen continued. “We were doing good things for Hartford, maybe now we can step back.”
Although the University has decided to move in a different direction, Christensen is ready and excited for the next chapter of her life.
“So after 25 years, it’s time to do something different,” Christensen said. “What they choose to do differently will be what’s the exciting part for the next era.
“I don’t believe in anything being done just because it’s been done. You got to shake it up, throw it up in the air, jiggle it around and say, ‘Oh! I got a new idea!’,” she continued. “But I loved every minute I worked here.”
The doors of Educational Main Street may have officially closed, but Christensen doesn’t want to see it as a closing or an ending, and rather a moment of refocus and opportunity to improve and make it better.
Earlier today @UHartfordNews Educational Main Street hosts over 70 local #hartford students at annual science fair. pic.twitter.com/7Qcihyvo3K
— CLPE (@CLPE_UHart) November 13, 2014
A part of the program has continued through the Center for Community Service. Students with federal work study can be placed in local schools to tutor students through the Center for Community Service.
With retirement on the horizon for Christensen, she plans to move to Boston with her husband to be closer to their kids and grandchildren.