Aspire Education Project is a nonprofit
serving East Bay families and schools
Aspire Education Project is a nonprofit serving East Bay families and schools |
| COMMUNITY READING BUDDIES The Community Reading Buddies program began in 1994 and has been growing ever since. Started by Nancy McKee-Jolda, a board member, Community Reading Buddies exemplifies Aspire Education Project ’s integrated approach to community learning. The primary focus of the program is building language skills for children whose parents are not native English speakers: the volunteers lead reading activities, games and introduce academic topics such as science, music and art. The program has a far larger if less tangible impact, however. The teenage volunteers act as mentors and “buddies” for their younger charges, providing them with role models. At the same time, the volunteers learn from the children they are teaching: it is an opportunity for the junior high and high school mentors to interact with neighbors who come from a very different background than their own. High school or junior high school students interested in becoming Mentors or part of the Leadership Team should complete an application (click on link below) and return it to Aspire Education Project. The application contains detailed information about deadlines, dates, time commitments, locations and carpools. Deadline extended! Applications for CRB 2008 are due May 30th, 2008. There will be a mandatory orientation meeting for all Mentors For more information about the program or for a hard copy of the application materials please email info@aspireeducation.org or call our main line 510-658-7500. DONATIONS CRB in the News : |
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All materials copyright 2008 Aspire Education Project |
Each summer, over a hundred junior high and high school students volunteer to spend three hours a week with a similar number of preschool through 4th graders at Oakland Unified School District’s Centro Infantil Annex and Bella Vista Child Development Center.
The mentors are provided with training in pedagogy and exposed to the challenges and rewards of teaching. Many students have participated in the program for multiple years. These veterans become part of the Leadership Team that helps structure the activities and guides the new mentors. Community Reading Buddies is about transferring knowledge in multiple directions. The “students” improve their language skills, while the “teachers” learn to teach: everyone learns more about the greater East Bay community. The success of this program can be seen in its longevity, the high return rate of former participants and the broad support it receives from parents and teachers at Centro Infantil de la Raza.