Aspire Education Project is a nonprofit
serving East Bay families and schools
Aspire Education Project is a nonprofit serving East Bay families and schools |
| ASPIRE EDUCATION PROJECT HOME |
COMMUNITY READING BUDDIES The Community Reading Buddies program began in 1994 and has been growing ever since. Started by Nancy McKee-Jolda, a former board member, Community Reading Buddies exemplifi 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 teachin Community Reading Buddies will not be taking place in the summer of 2011 for reasons of funding and other issues. We regret this and hope to bring the program back in 2012. If you were interested in volunteering this year, please feel free to contact us and we would be glad to steer you towards other similar opportunities available through other organizations in the East Bay.
For more information about the program please email crb@aspireeducation.org or call our main line 510-658-7500.
CRB in the News : |
|
All materials copyright 2010 Aspire Education Project |
es Aspire Education Project ’s integrated approach to community learning. Each summer, over a hundred junior high and high school students volunteer to spend five 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. 
g: 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. 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.