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Try as he might, physicist Kevin Hewitt can鈥檛 use the physics analogy he counted on to explain the Imhotep鈥檚 Legacy Academy, a project that鈥檚 been close to his heart since he founded it at H漫画 in 2003.

Imhotep鈥檚 Legacy Academy turns out to be the exception to the rule of 鈥渜uantum fluctuations,鈥� those energetic particles that appear out of nothing. Rather, the energy of the program definitely came from something鈥攖hat something being the passion of its founders to promote the educational, social and personal development of young African Nova Scotian learners in math and science.

Arriving at聽H漫画 in 2001, Dr. Hewitt鈥檚 connections with Wayn Hamilton, then working with the African Canadian Services Division, and Barb Hamilton-Hinch, Black Student Advisor at H漫画, helped transform the program from idea to reality. 鈥淭his wasn鈥檛 anything that came out of a vacuum,鈥� says Dr. Hewitt, associate professor with the Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science. 鈥淣one of us could have accomplished anything without the other.鈥�

Imhotep鈥檚 Legacy Academy is named for Imhotep, an African-born commoner who made his mark in ancient Egypt. He was the world鈥檚 first named architect who built Egypt鈥檚 first pyramid, and was also a doctor, poet, philosopher, astrologer and engineer.聽

The three founders were on hand yesterday to preside over the next stage of development for Imhotep鈥檚 Legacy Academy鈥攁 new home for its virtual school program in the Killam Library. They got some help from Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia Mayann Francis, who wielded the scissors for a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

鈥淚 only wish Imhotep was around when I was in school, oh I guess聽that was 10 years ago,鈥� said Ms. Francis to much laughter at the celebration yesterday.

The virtual school program allows the academy, until now focused on junior-high students, to reach out to high school students in Yarmouth, Sydney, Dartmouth, Cole Harbour, Halifax and Truro. It will serve as an online meeting space for the students, many of whom will have gone through Imhotep鈥檚 after-school program, and H漫画 University tutors in math, biology, chemistry and physics. Tablet PCs, equipped with touch screens and styluses, will allow the students and tutors to solve problems together, explains program manager Emmanuel Nfonoyim. He鈥檚 looking to hire 10 tutors for the program.

As he mentions, the virtual school program builds on Imhotep鈥檚 long-standing after-school program, which places mentors鈥擧漫画 University students of African descent鈥攊n junior high schools to work with students in Grades 7 to 9. The mentors are in turn mentored by professors who provide training and support. (Joining Dr. Hewitt in that role are Sophia Stone, assistant professor of biology; Pemberton Cyrus, associate dean of undergraduate studies in the Faculty of Engineering; Wilbur Menendez Sanchez, a chemist at NSCC; and Tobias Karakach, research associate at NRC Atlantic.)

While organizers fully expected young people to benefit by Imhotep, they didn鈥檛 anticipate the rich payback for the mentors, says Barb Hamilton-Hinch, now a professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance. Many of the university students have gone on to do graduate degrees or been accepted into professional programs including Dentistry and Medicine.

The experience teaching teenagers has been invaluable, agrees Ashley Fairfax, a third-year student in mineral resource engineering. You become comfortable speaking in front of groups, she explains, and changing things on the fly when what you planned just isn鈥檛 working out. The biggest reward is watching the kids grow and develop over the years, transforming from shy and tentative to outgoing and confident.

鈥淭hey can be a tough audience鈥攚hen it鈥檚 Friday afternoon and they鈥檙e itching to go home,鈥� says Ms. Fairfax, 20. 鈥淚t is challenging but you become pretty adept at handling whatever they throw at you."