Adam J. Lewis Academy: Turning Tragedy Into Triumph

Last year at Adam J. Lewis Academy‘s annual fundraiser, I met the teachers who work their magic at the Bridgeport school.

Their talent, energy, passion and pride blew me away.

This year, the stars of the spring party will be the students themselves.

Adam J. Lewis’s founders promise the kids will be even more remarkable than the adults.

The school — named for a local man killed on 9/11, and nurtured ever since by his wife and friends — has changed the lives of hundreds of Bridgeport youngsters and their families.

Adam J. Lewis grew up poor, in the Bronx. But he seized the educational opportunities he was given — scholarships to Dalton and Hamilton College — and made a great, successful and fulfilling life for himself.

Adam J. Lewis and his wife Patty.

His death at his World Trade Center desk sparked a superbly fitting tribute.

His wife Patty Lewis and Westporter Julie Mombello — friends from their days working together at Greens Farms Academy — knew the importance of pre-school education.

In Westport, pre-school — where children explore the world using all their senses, and learn letters, numbers, scientific observation, music, art, language, problem-solving, cooperation, coordination and many other skills — is a given. That’s far less true in Bridgeport, where the cost of preschool can be daunting.

Patty and Julie vowed to do what they could to give little children just a few miles from Westport the same advantages their own kids had.

After reading “Balloons Over Broadway,” students created their own balloons. A parade followed. 

The goal was to provide youngsters from every background with an intellectually, socially and personally transformative educational experience. Students would leave empowered, ready to make a difference in the world.

The Adam J. Lewis Pre-School was born. And — despite daunting obstacles including fundraising, site selection and city bureaucracy — it has thrived since opening in 2013.

From its start — with just 12 children — it has grown steadily. In 2018 the school relocated to a downtown Bridgeport campus. Realizing there is more to education than just pre-K, they’ve added one grade each year.

The faculty/student ratio is 8:1. 90% of the teachers have advanced degrees. 100% of students receive financial aid.

Now, as a pre-K through 8th grade independent school of more than 160 youngsters, AJLA is ready to graduate its first middle school class.

Those boys and girls have been there since the day the academy opened. They’ve moved from a small building into a large, better-equipped one.

They’ve impressed their teachers, and surprised their parents. Now they’re ready to inspire all who attend the May 3 event.

Adam J. Lewis teachers offer a warm welcome on opening day.

The school is a true community. Families are embraced, and supported. A scholarship program at Housatonic Community College enables parents to take certification classes at no cost to them, often leading to high-demand, higher-paying jobs and careers.

A staff psychologist bridges the gap between home and school — just like a private boarding school.

From the start, Westporters have supported Adam J. Lewis Academy, with donations, board service and sweat equity.

And from the start, Patty Lewis and Julie Mombello have been AJLA’s heart and soul.

The other day, they talked about some of the independent projects the students will show in May.

Every grade has a year-long theme. This year, every middle schooler has worked on an independent “sustainability” project. They’ve conducted interviews, written papers, created models.

“They become little experts in areas they feel excited about,” Julie says. Among them: solar cars, osprey nests, and the the dangers of plastics in oceans.

Guests at the fundraiser will tour the new STEAM (Science, Technology, Enigneering, Arts, Math) room.

From its small beginning, Adam J. Lewis has grown substantially.

The event will also honor 5 families who believed in AJLA’s mission from the start, and gave generously for many years. Among them: Elwood and Catherine Davis. and Jim and Roberta Conroy. Both couples live in Westport.

“At the beginning we were just 2 women who wanted to open up a school,” Patty says.

“We had no data, nothing. But they believed in us. Without them, we would not be where we are today.”

And without them, that first 8th grade class would not be where they are today: ready to awe their guests with proof of what any child can achieve, as long as someone gives them a chance.

(The Adam J. Lewis Academy spring party is May 3, 6 p.m., at the school: 500 State Street, Bridgeport. Click here for tickets, and more information. To learn more about Adam J. Lewis Academy, click here.)