Springing ahead at Homework Central!
Spring is in full bloom at Homework Central! This season is widely celebrated as a time of renewal, often marked by new beginnings and transformation. Such is the case at Homework Central. We are excited to announce the appointment of our new interim Executive Director, Dr. Benjamin N. York, as well as our new Officers of the Board, led by our Chair Monroe Labouisse.
Spring is also a time to celebrate the success of HWC students. Please join us at Stars in the Making, our community showcase and fundraiser on Saturday, April 25th.
In this newsletter, we share incredible stories of student impact along with heartwarming feedback from teachers and principals in SMFCSD.
“Homework Central has had such a positive impact on my students who have been attending this year. One student in particular has improved so much in completing his homework. He used to have such a difficult time doing his work, and at times wouldn’t turn it in. Because of them, his confidence in his work has been boosted, and he is proud to turn in his homework.” ~Teacher, Fiesta Gardens |
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What are you doing on April 25th, 2026?
Come celebrate with us! |
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Stars in the Making Community Showcase and Fundraiser Celebrate Homework Central students, hear from Alumni, and enjoy hearty hors d’oeuvres and beverages! |
| Saturday April 25th, 2026,
4:30 – 7:30 pm
The San Mateo Senior Center 2645 Alameda de las Pulgas
San Mateo, California |
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For additional details, visit our events page www.homework-central.org/nht or contact Ofelia at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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Interim Executive Director Spotlight |
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Meet Homework Central’s new Interim Executive Director, Dr. Benjamin N. York. Dr. York provides strategic and organizational leadership to HWC, grounded in nearly two decades of experience as an educational leader, researcher, grantmaker, and practitioner.
Before joining Homework Central, Ben founded and led ParentPowered PBC, an organization that has reached over a million children through evidence-based family engagement programs. |
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He previously served as Executive Director of CEPA Labs at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education and as an advisor to the National Center on Parent, Family, and Community Engagement. His scholarly contributions include multiple peer-reviewed publications and he has served as a referee for Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.
Earlier in his career, Ben managed an after-school program at a public elementary school outside of Boulder, Colorado.
Ben holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy and an M.A. in Political Science from Stanford University, as well as a B.A. in Economics, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Colorado.
A father of two, Ben is deeply committed to advancing whole-child development, with a particular focus on supporting those furthest from opportunity. |
Meet our New Board Officers Homework Central is also excited to announce its new Officers of the Board, led by new Chair Monroe Labouisse. Joining Monroe are Dawn Graves as Vice Chair and Marylou Cronin as Treasurer, with Abhi Vasishth continuing as Recording Secretary.
Collectively, our new Board and Board Officers have decades of experience in community service, corporate leadership, and education. You’ll hear more from our new Board Officers at the Community Showcase and Fundraiser on April 25th and in our next newsletter. In the meantime, you can read more about them here.
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| | | Abhi Vasishth
Recording Secretary
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Incredible Student Impact |
Building on a 25+ year legacy of equity and impact, student success is at the heart of everything we do at Homework Central. This year, we have supported 134 students across four SMFCSD schools through a one-of-a-kind system of support that includes literacy and math tutoring through homework completion, enrichment, family engagement, and community resources such as free books, school supplies, backpacks, and clothing. And the results are inspiring!
One fourth-grade student has made meaningful progress completing his reading summaries independently in English. Just a few months ago, he was not yet able to summarize and write in English, but through consistent daily practice, he is now doing so with confidence. In the beginning, he would first summarize in Spanish on a whiteboard, then, we worked together to translate it into English on a second whiteboard, and now he is practicing writing in cursive in his Reading Log. It’s a huge accomplishment and a reflection of his hard work.
At another school, six fifth-grade students have been completing more than 250 ST Math puzzles each week during March. One student completed over 400 puzzles during the second week of March alone and made sure we waited until Friday for the final count. This momentum has inspired other students to go beyond their required 60 and 80 weekly ST Math puzzles goals.
We look forward to building on this success over the rest of the school year and into 2026–27! |
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Heartwarming Feedback
from Teachers and Principals |
The strong, trusting partnership that the Homework Central team has built with teachers and principals in the San Mateo-Foster City School District is a key to our success, ensuring that HWC’s support is connected to the classroom and highly personalized to meet student needs. We’re excited to share just a few of the heartwarming things teachers had to say about HWC: |
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“Homework Central has had such a positive impact on my students who have been attending this year. One student in particular has improved so much in completing his homework. He used to have such a difficult time doing his work, and at times wouldn’t turn it in. Because of them, his confidence in his work has been boosted, and he is proud to turn in his homework.”
~Teacher, Fiesta Gardens
“I am thankful that we have Homework Central at our school site. I have seen growth in all of my students who attend Homework Central. The extra time, support, and encouragement from caring adults and volunteers helps them grow not only academically, but also in their confidence and social-emotional well-being. [Homework Central] has excellent communication with teachers, not only about student work but also student behavioral and social-emotional needs. I feel a true sense of collaboration and partnership with [them], which in turn supports our students.”
~Teacher, San Mateo Park Elementary We’re also humbled by this principal’s perspective: “Homework Central goes beyond homework help by creating meaningful connections between students and caring adults who truly invest in their growth and well-being.”
~Principal, Baywood
Keep up the great work Homework Central team, and thank you to SMFCSD for your continued partnership! |
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Saturday, April 25th, 2026
4:30–7:30 pm
Senior Center Assembly Room
2645 Alameda de las Pulgas
San Mateo |
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Can’t make our event? Please consider a donation in honor of Homework Central’s celebration and fundraiser. |
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Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}*
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Homework Central is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization | Tax ID 94-3368576 |
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