Incarcerated group of men raise money for science kits for Philadelphia elementary school
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- At Stephen Girard Elementary, 2nd-grade teacher Monty Yellock is using a sense of wonder to shape young minds.
"I wanted them to have hands-on lessons where they can be engaged and working in teams and exploring things," Yellock said.
Yellock has been teaching for 20 years and is an advocate for STEM programs.
Stephen Girard is one of 331 schools in the School District of Philadelphia.
Some schools experience challenges with funding programs, including STEM initiatives. So, Yellock placed a request on "Donor's Choose," for science kits that support hands-on learning. Her high school friend told Yellock she knew someone interested in providing financial help.
"She contacted me and said her brother would love to be able to fund it and then she told me about his story," Yellock said.
Her friend's brother is Tyree Wallace, who is currently serving life without the possibility of parole for his connection to a 1997 robbery and murder.
Wallace is waiting to find out what the Philadelphia District Attorney's office will decide this May in his hopes to overturn his life sentence.
Wallace has already served 26 years behind bars. During that time, he founded the MANN Up! Association, a 501(c)(3) peer support group for those incarcerated at SCI Phoenix and Systemic Reformative Change, a policy-focused 501(c)(4) nonprofit to campaign to free wrongly accused prisoners and create opportunities for restorative justice.
Wallace provided $1,500 dollars to purchase three science kits with the money they make while working a variety of jobs in prison.
"One of the first things we did with SRC Kids is we donated science kits to children of Stephen Girard Elementary," Wallace said. "I have a relationship with the first grade teacher, Monty Yellock."
"To still want to make an investment in our children, I thought that was beautiful and powerful and we were just very grateful," said Leah Coleman, who is the principal at Stephen Girard.
"What I appreciate about what he did was the ripple effect of it," she added "That he and the gentleman of his organization would take their time, their resources and donate to our community, I really thought that just was compassion, accountability, respect, engagement. Those are our core values. It was our mission in action."