(Reading Lead Teacher)
Kenneth Estelle, who has taught Reading for the Legacy Foundation of Hartford for about six years, discovered the Legacy Foundation by chance while earning his master’s degree. Kenneth says that when he joined the Legacy Foundation he was initially simply looking for education-related employment while earning his degree; happily, he also found a home.
“I found a community and support system that was dedicated to supporting the overall advancement of students with equal talent but limited access and opportunities,” says Kenneth, a humanities teacher at John F. Kennedy School in Windsor, where he received the distinction of Teacher of the Year for the 2021-2022 school year. “I quickly learned that I wanted to dedicate more time to supporting the work done at Legacy.”
Kenneth says that what separates the Legacy Foundation from other organizations is its staff. “I’m sure there are many organizations with dedicated staff members. However, I feel that the staff at Legacy works constantly in close collaboration with students, helping to create strong relationships that help students to tap into the potential that they may not know they yet possess,” he says. “We are small enough where students know the names of every single employee of Legacy, and call on each of them for help whenever appropriate.”
A resident of Bloomfield, Kenneth teaches Sunday school at his Hartford church, First Church of the Living God, where he also sings as part of the praise team. He received his master’s degree from the University of Saint Joseph in Special Education Literacy, and his undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and American Studies from Saint Peter’s University in New Jersey. Kenneth is a movie and television buff who also enjoys reading and working out at the gym. Kenneth has an adventurous spirit and enjoys tasting new foods as well as trying new experiences – including going skiing for the first time as part of a Legacy Foundation student excursion in early 2023.
