The Dreamer: Blame it on Jonathan

Blame it on Jonathan. Or credit him. Either way, Thrive Collective doesn’t exist without him.

Jonathan is Jeremy’s younger brother and lifelong best friend/sibling rival/collaborator.

In 1982 they were “voluntold” by their parents to volunteer at Abounding Grace Ministries. In 1992, they were original members of Abounding Grace Church. In 1994, they were original members of the church youth group, and in 1996, they co-founded the Generation Xcel Youth Center. In 2005, Jonathan had the bright idea that if Xcel would cross the street to serve PS/MS 34 from within the building and not just as an interested neighbor, our impacts would deepen.

He took that insight further, and resolved to personally affect that change. He applied to become a NYC Teaching Fellow with the goal of teaching middle school math and coaching basketball at the school. The school hired him the following year, and the rest is history. Xcel produced our first mural project in the schoolyard in 2007. The school became an A rated school within 3 years and the principal credited the math department with the turnaround. We could track improvements beginning the year after he arrived and instigated the Dream Walls murals. We started sharing the story to inspire other CBOs to serve schools differently.

In 2011, Xcel followed Jonathan into PS/SMS 34. We relaunched as 20/20 Vision for Schools, Inc. and in 2014 adopted the name Thrive Collective for our arts and mentoring programs. A new group of students repainted the Dream Walls last year, and Jonathan continues to crush it as a teacher, coach, mentor, and community activist. Chandler Simpson caught up with him at the annual BBQ in June:

“I think that we’ve always had a heart for this particular neighborhood. Thrive is another level because it deals with schools all over the city. Thrive’s been able to get involved in the school community in a unique way with the arts and it really allows the kids to buy in and get creative. Every example of art that you see, the kids have not only done it but have really been a part of creating it. When we did the mural here, and then a few others of these pieces, the kids loved the environment. I think we’ve been able to stay true to the roots, which is to remain involved into the community, to really focus on those relationships. For me it’s a unique opportunity as a teacher here. It’s not only my job, it’s my church community. I’ve had students who I used to work with their parents years ago in the ministry house so it’s a very unique experience for me. About two years ago, I see a kid from the neighborhood who I taught for two years. He waves at me from across the street. We’re going in different directions and he stops. He runs across the street and puts his hand on my shoulders and says, ‘I just got to thank you.’ He was a particularly difficult kid, and he knew that, and he kinda just thanked me. It’s funny that as a teacher a lot of those moments have nothing to do with academics—it’s about those relationships, and that’s what he was thanking me for: for showing him love and showing him discipline.”

– Jonathan Del Rio, PS/MS 34 Math Teacher, Thrive visionary and longtime volunteer

 

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