Erick Espin, a history teacher at WHEELS, is the 2021 recipient of EL Education’s national Klingenstein Teaching Award.
Crew, which has deep roots in the Outward Bound tradition dating back to the 1940s, is a distinctive structure in our schools in which students come together daily, in most of our schools, with a teacher Crew Advisor to work on college preparation, literacy skills, leadership development, and personal challenges. Students regularly describe their Crews in our schools as a “second family” that provides critical social‐emotional and academic support.
Crews typically include 10 – 16 students and stay together for several years, often through graduation. Crew also helps us ensure our students are well-known and well-supported, and that no one falls through the cracks. Crew is the vehicle through which our schools conduct many of their parent and family outreach activities.
