Forster-Thomas in the Community

"Evan Forster and David Thomas practice what they preach. For more than eight years, their work with our students and mentors has helped make the College Bound program at Chess-in-the-Schools the dynamic success it is today.” — Marley Kaplan, CEO, Chess in the Schools

Forster-Thomas has been committed to making a difference in the community since the company’s launch in 1999. Back in that day, Evan Forster and David Thomas reached out to the end of their block in Brooklyn, doing one-on-one academic tutoring for local inner-city students in the Gowanus housing project in Boerum Hill.

It was the same year that Usher preached out to the world with his first hit, “My Way,” while Brandy was “Sitting Up In [her] Room.” The Gowanus in Unity Tutoring Program, then inspired and launched by Jim Vacirca (may he rest in peace), was an opportunity for Evan and David to give back to the community while figuring out who the heck the kids were listening to those days (how else did we learn who Brandy and Usher were?).

We’re not really sure what has happened to Brandy since then, but Usher has become an international phenomenon, going on to record “OMG” and, of course, “Little Freak” with Nicki Minaj, and giving tips to American Idol hopefuls—meanwhile, David and Evan are giving advice and supporting teens in programs all over New York City.

In 2002, Forster-Thomas helped launch the Chess-in-the-Schools College Bound Program; Forster-Thomas brought not only Evan and David to Chess-in-the-Schools, but numerous graduate school-bound students from Wall Street to help create the mentor program, now entering its ninth year. Two years ago, they created the Essay Busters program at Williamsburg Charter High School.

Committed to making a difference, at a Chess-in-the-Schools event two years ago, Evan met Sarah Blanton, the 11th Grade Director at The Williamsburg Charter High School, who is a Dartmouth undergrad alum, NYU law school alum, and former Dartmouth admissions officer, and who currently has Justin Bieber stuck in her head (thanks to hosting an 11-year-old at home). Sarah soon invited Evan to the WCHS, where she introduced him to Art Samuels, Director of Guidance and Culture at The Williamsburg Charter High School, who has recently fallen in love all over again with Europe’s “The Final Countdown.”

Both Art and Sarah are committed to making a difference in the lives of economically disadvantaged students and their higher education. Art, a 30-something Harvard Law School grad, takes it one step further, recently launching his own rap career in the hallways of the WCHS. (He and Sarah Pitari-Hugo, Vice President of School Programs at Chess-in-the-Schools—a Rihanna devotee—plan to collaborate on a track in the near future). At the WCHS, Evan gave his usual Killer Essay speech, and the students clamored for his return. By the end of 2009, Evan got his friends and everybody who worked at Forster-Thomas to participate in helping the students of The WCHS wih their college essays and applications.

The following year, they launched the official Essay Busters with Ariel Tan, a kick-ass private equity star and founder of SustaInvest, who has been recently accepted to three of the top five business schools in the US. Though he knows it’s corny, he will be dancing down the halls to “Young Money” by Bedrock wherever he chooses to attend (while continuing his good works). Today, thanks to Ariel and 32 other mentors, students are clamoring to get into Essay Busters.

Most recently, in keeping with our commitment to making a difference, Forster-Thomas has instituted Project Ridiculous, wherein we have asked our coaches and staff to dream big—bigger than makes plausible sense, so big it’s ridiculous—and take steps to institute their projects. These projects include reviving an “Adventure Series” (think trapeze lessons) for a group of friends, helping patients at a physical therapy treatment center heal thorugh telling their stories, and selflessly giving a party for a friend who would never expect it.

Forster-Thomas continues to give back to the community and inspire. After all, reaching out to and impacting underserved communities is a huge part of our underlying commitment to making a difference in graduate and undergraduate education. Evan , David, and even Katie, our Office Manager, through their work at places like Chess-in-the-Schools are, though getting older, still keeping it real (sort of, anyway) cutting a rug to Lady Gaga’s “Telephone.” An old aunt and uncle can try. Katie’s gonna kill us. She’s under thirty, and I swear, sings all over new New York City with her band Autodrone.

In pages still to come, you will see more pictures and stories of our comminuty involvement. The programs we work with are almost always looking for more volunteers!

If you are a college or graduate-school-bound student who wants to make a difference in your family, your neighborhood, your profession, or on the planet, please contact us here.