Ryan Rosenkrantz ’19, an education major on the policy and reform track, hasn’t wasted any time in applying the knowledge he’s learned in the classroom at Rhodes College to the Memphis community.
During the summer before his junior year, Rosenkrantz participated in the Rhodes Institute for Regional Studies, and conducted research on the school-to-prison pipeline (SPP) in Memphis elementary schools. As a result of this experience, he knew he wanted to make a difference in the Memphis community. So when Rhodes’ Career Services sent out an email looking for a student to work at New Ballet, he decided to go for it.
Rosenkrantz works as the Rhodes Fellow at New Ballet Ensemble and School. “I’m helping with strategic planning, so I’m working on bigger pictures, such as policies and helping to further grow New Ballet’s relationship with the Memphis community and Shelby County schools.”
New Ballet is not just a dance studio. “We’re an arts education nonprofit in the Memphis community,” Rosenkrantz explains.
New Ballet’s after-school dance program seeks to provide a quality dance education to children regardless of their ability to pay. In addition to providing rigorous training and curating innovative performances, the organization provides holistic support to their students by implementing tutoring programs led by Rhodes students.
“When you’re removing income as a barrier, there are other barriers to entry that prevent students from focusing solely on dance,” Rosenkrantz says. “We help them with their school work, so that when they come here their minds can solely be on dance, and it becomes a stress reliever to them rather than an added stress.
During his fellowship, Rosenkrantz also has been examining the policies and standards on arts education in the state of Tennessee. “Rhodes is giving me the opportunity to make big-time policymaking decisions in the Memphis community,” he says.
Rosenkrantz is also the chairperson of the Rhodes Activities Board (RAB), a first-year peer assistant (PA), and serves as a member on the Rhodes Student Government cabinet.