For the second year in a row, Grand Valley is encouraging faculty
and staff members and students to volunteer for a United Way program
aimed at helping improve literacy among students in Grand Rapids
Public Schools.
Heart of West Michigan United Way is focused on
closing the reading achievement gap between urban and suburban
students through tutoring programs.
One of those programs, Schools of Hope, is an in-school reading
tutor program. More than 150 Grand Valley faculty, staff and students
participated in the 2008-09 United Way Schools of Hope program. “Grand
Valley has been a valued partner, whether it is providing tutors,
helping design our Strategic Tutoring sessions or constructing our
tutor database,” said Fritz Crabb, director of literacy initiatives
for Heart of West Michigan United Way.
Vice President for Inclusion and Equity Jeanne Arnold served as a tutor at Sibley Elementary. “It’s just so rewarding to know that you can spend as little as a half hour a week and help make a significant improvement in a student’s reading scores,” she said.
Esther Ricco, executive secretary for Finance and Administration, also volunteered at Sibley last year.
“Participating in the Schools of Hope program this past year not only allowed me to help a young child build their reading skills, but it also made me more aware of just how much this program is needed in our public schools,” she said.
Now in its ninth year, the Schools of Hope program has matched more than 6,000 individuals who provide tutoring to more than 5,000 early elementary students during school hours. There is currently a waiting list ofchildren who are hoping to be matched with reading volunteers,but administrators at participating schools say the program offerstremendous results.
Two training sessions are scheduled in October for prospective tutors, with the goal of increasing the number of faculty and staff tutors for this year by at least 20 percent. Individuals who are interested in tutoring should speak with their supervisors first. Volunteers must be willing to spend at least 30 minutes each week tutoring a child (if time doesn’t permit, two volunteers may share a child).
Tutoring sessions are held when school is in session. Grand Valley
is focusing on Stocking Elementary, though volunteers may chose any of
the 15 participating GRPS locations. Volunteers must clear both
Michigan State Police and Child Abuse and Neglect background checks
and attend one two-hour training session. Interested participants
should contact Sue Sloop at x12215 or [email protected].
