Maha Kalota

Community-Academic Scholar: Maha Kalota (she/her)

Project: Maha worked with Prof. Jon Hale and DREAAM House to develop and implement a comprehensive evaluation model that assesses indicators related to literacy attainment, student motivation, student perceptions of literacy, teacher effectiveness, and parent and community engagement, which will then be developed for use in the DREAAM program. Learn more about the project.

Mentor reflections: Prof. Hale hopes Maha gained a sense of what genuine and lasting community engagement looks like in partnership with a research university. "Maha brought a lot of skill this summer to help evaluate a program that has the potential to shape many lives, Hale said. "Maha was eager to participate and work with community leaders and brought a keen sense of academic work to a grassroots educational setting."

Do you have a personal story or path that led to your interest in this research project?
One of the reasons I was interested in this program is that I wanted to have more involvement outside of the university campus and in the Champaign-Urbana community. As an Asian-American, community-building is very important to me. I hope to continue fostering relationships with others and improving the lives of those around me to ensure a better place for the collective.

How has participating in this program helped you toward your goals?
By working at the Freedom School in Champaign, I helped administer assessments and also advocate for the program. This work strengthened the program and its mission of providing a safe and fun environment for kids to learn.

What was the most meaningful part of this experience? 
The most meaningful part about this program is seeing relationships strengthen over the course of the program and seeing kids excited to better their understanding of the world.

What advice do you have for future scholars or to those who are interested in applying for the program? 
The advice I would give future scholars is to be curious, ask questions, and find creative ways to showcase this phenomenal program.