Blog

Each Excel Reading Clinic student knows this by heart. These three rules keep them from straying off the train tracks on their way to reading. With one-to-one instruction, it’s truly amazing how far struggling readers travel in just one year.

Their train conductors, Excel Reading Clinic Tutors, are people JUST LIKE YOU. All volunteers, whether new or experienced at teaching, receive training so that they are familiar with the learning process and effective methods of teaching remedial reading. Site coordinators like me are here to support tutors. We pre-test students under their teachers’ guidance, set up the materials, and oversee tutors during each two-hour clinic.

Budding readers meet with a dedicated tutor for one hour every week throughout the school year to learn sight words and phonics. Each achievement is another mile marker closer to being able to drive the train themselves. Not only is the student blessed but the tutor also comes away enriched. There’s no greater thrill than when your excited student beats you at Sight Word Bingo!

We need more tutors! If you or someone you know would like to help a student, climb aboard. If you’re retired, but tired of the “same old, same old” every day, a learning journey with a child might be just the thing. If you’re someone who enjoys kids and loves to see them excel, we’re looking for you!

Please contact our program director Rebecca Buckley (rebecca@children-rising.org) for further details and to sign up to start in the fall. You’ll be so glad you did!

During the 2014-2015 school year, more than 248 volunteers provided support and practical assistance to the East Bay area and its children through Children Rising.

• 121 Reading Tutors at 20 Excel Reading Clinics enabled over 260 primary grade students to improve their reading levels.
• 38 Food Baggers put together nutritious weekend lunch bags for 1550 families in 18 Alameda County public schools.
• 23 Event Volunteers donated their time and talents working our 5K Walk and Gala fundraisers.
• 21 Library Volunteers and 2 community groups supported and staffed 8 under-resourced school libraries. They provided over 4,000 books to eager students every week.
• 17 Newsletter Team Volunteers throughout the year assembled our monthly printed newsletter, which reaches over 1,200 supporters.
• 13 Mentors guided 12 high school students as they navigated their internships. Through our community partners, Children Rising placed a total of 19 high school students in internships.
• 12 Lab Assistants and 12 Math Tutors helped provide over 450 elementary school students with hands-on learning experiences focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.

What a year! Thank you for generously giving your time, talents, and resources!

A Day of Service is a volunteer service opportunity coordinated by Project Peace East Bay to bring together local faith-based groups, non-profit organizations, and East Bay social service providers. It is an opportunity for people from very different backgrounds to come together simply to love and serve our shared community.

Project Peace’s hope is that through these partnerships our local East Bay communities will become more environmentally, economically and socially sustainable.

For more information and to sign up,
visit www.projectpeaceeastbay.org/Day-Of-Service
or email DayofService@ProjectPeaceEastBay.org