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Brothers Raise Cash in Hope of Sending Bed-Stuy Kids to Harvard Seminar

By Camille Bautista | November 3, 2016 4:14pm
 Brothers River Fields, 14 (far left), and Rusty Fields, 17 (far right), at Harvard University in October during a high school seminar mock trial program.
Brothers River Fields, 14 (far left), and Rusty Fields, 17 (far right), at Harvard University in October during a high school seminar mock trial program.
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Rusty and River Fields

BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A pair of teenage brothers are hoping to make a difference in the lives of dozens of Brooklyn students by sending them on an all-expenses paid trip to Harvard University.

After visiting the Cambridge, Massachusetts campus in October for a high school seminar program, Rusty and River Fields wanted to provide the same experience for kids in their neighborhood.

“We have been lucky to have parents that are able to expose us to a lot of different opportunities,” Rusty, 17, said.

“We just thought, so many kids like us who live in Bed-Stuy, where we come from, they don’t have access to all these opportunities. It would be great if they could do this and we wanted to make it free so there’s nothing to prevent them from attending.”

The brothers are looking to send 40 teenagers with chaperones to participate in a mock courtroom trial at this month’s 2016 Angela R. Mathew High School Seminar Program. It's part of Harvard’s Mock Trial Association. 

Through the initiative, students will learn techniques used by lawyers in trials and attend lectures covering cross examinations, objections and more.

“For me I think it was really good practice in terms of public speaking, speaking in front of a new environment,” Rusty said, adding that he and his brother role-played as plaintiffs in a case.

“It also gave us a great overview of how the legal system works and how a trial is conducted.”

Students have already signed up to be a part of the trip, the brothers said. Initially they had a goal of bringing four teens along, which expanded to 40 when word got around, according to Rusty.

With the help of area churches, businesses and neighbors, they are hoping to raise $15,000 to cover the costs of the program, transportation and lodging from Nov. 12 to 13.

As of Thursday, the duo has raised around $8,000, Rusty said, including funds from a GoFundMe campaign.

The project is a part of the sibling’s organization, The Rusty & River Fields Foundation, which looks to “educate, motivate and inspire other teens,” River, 15, said.

Last spring, the pair also launched their own neighborhood newspaper, The Bainbridge Times.

“We just really wanted to support their efforts with community service and all the wonderful things they’re trying to do,” said LaShanda Washington-Ifield, whose 13-year-old son hopes to go on the November trip to Harvard.

The opportunity would help her son, Kylen Ifield, see the justice system from a different perspective, she added.

“A lot of children don’t even get the opportunity to leave the state of New York,” she said.

“My hope is that they will be able to make connections that will allow for whatever their dream is. It’s like a beacon of hope.”

Other friends and teens connected with the Fields for the project.

“I feel like this program is a good catalyst for getting the exposure to certain events that will require critical thinking, public speaking and it’s a good time to expose myself to other smart individuals,” said high-school senior Akwasi Agyeman.

“At Harvard University, that environment itself is going to trigger a response. I can unlock new talents I didn’t know I had.”

The brothers have been hosting bake sales in the neighborhood and asking locals to help out.

They hope to reach their fundraising goal by Nov. 10.

“Just seeing the campus and students, their goals, what the possibilities are, it could really shift what they see on a daily basis,” Rusty said.

“This could radically change their lives.”