Blog

President Biden Calls On You: “We Need Tutors”

By Jim Wambach
July 19, 2022

Children Rising Math and Reading Tutors Support Initiative To Place 250,000 Tutors

The Biden-Harris Administration recently announced a series of initiatives to help students make up for lost learning time and succeed in school and in life. The White House calls on schools to use the $122 billion in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to provide high-quality tutoring, summer learning and enrichment, and afterschool programs.

“Building on President Biden’s call to action in the State of the Union, the Biden-Harris Administration is also joining with leading organizations to launch the National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS) to provide students with an additional 250,000 tutors and mentors over the next three years,” the announcement states.

Will you complete HER Circle of Care?

Through one-on-one reading and math tutoring, and family support, you will nurture an eager child in a circle of care so they may succeed in school.

Yes, I want to uplift a child in school today!

Students throughout the country are suffering from unprecedented levels of unfinished learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationwide, children are two to four months behind in reading and math. Closer to home, 75-80% of the second-graders in Oakland Unified School District schools we serve are two or more grade levels behind in reading or math.

“We know what works: fully staffed schools, and personalized support for students through high-quality tutoring, summer learning and enrichment, and afterschool programs that help students not only make academic gains, but also stay connected to school and one another. The steps announced today will further help ensure America’s children have what they need to thrive.” – The White House

A nationwide call for tutors this year

This is not a standard request for volunteers. As a nation, the call has gone out: We need more high-quality tutors to provide more instances of tutoring this year. These are two hallmarks of high-dosage tutoring, one of the leading solutions to overcoming significant unfinished learning.

Here in Oakland:

• Path2Math needs at least 80 more tutors.
• Succeeding by Reading needs another 80 tutors.

Volunteer tutoring programs like Succeeding by Reading and Path2Math provide opportunities for community members to step in, be part of this leading-edge solution, and support student recovery.

Each of you can help

It’s an extraordinary time, and your help in spreading the word and generating community interest to get involved can make a huge difference this year for many children. Here’s how you can help:

• Become a tutor. If you have ever considered stepping forward to nurture and empower a struggling child in school, now is the time! Apply today!
• Spread the word. If you know of anyone who may be interested in tutoring an amazing young learner, please share this with them.
• Learn more about Children Rising tutoring opportunities. If you are on the fence, this may be your tipping point!

The programs are ready. Our comprehensive tutor training and on-site support ensure that tutors can succeed from day one.

Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information. I am grateful for any assistance you can provide as we work to spread the word throughout the community.

For the Children,

 

If you are interested in volunteering, learn more about opportunities with Children Rising.

 I want to learn more about online reading or math clinics to see if tutoring is right for me!

I want to help fund Children Rising tutoring and mentoring programs to empower more children this year!

Cisco Foundation Donates $75,000 to Enhance Path2Math Tutoring Program

By Eric Steckel
July 7, 2022

Community Impact Grant Empowers Children Struggling With Elementary Math

Children Rising is pleased to be the recipient of a generous grant from Cisco Foundation’s San Francisco Bay Area Community Impact Grant Program. The $75,000 award marks the third consecutive year Cisco has supported Children Rising’s Path2Math program, addressing low childhood numeracy in under-resourced, Title 1 elementary schools in Oakland.

Addressing Educational Inequity in the East Bay

Educational inequity is a social injustice impacting children living in low-income neighborhoods throughout the East Bay. Many elementary school children, primarily Black and Latino, have not benefited from individual attention in their early years that many other children commonly receive, either in school or at home. These children struggled to perform at grade level before the pandemic, with a disproportionate number dropping out of school.

Will you complete HER Circle of Care?

Through one-on-one reading and math tutoring, and family support, you will nurture an eager child in a circle of care so they may succeed in school.

Yes, I want to uplift a child in school today!

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic increased the learning discrepancies of these children even further compared to their peers living in more affluent neighborhoods. At the beginning of the current school year, OUSD I-Ready testing scores indicated that 72% of second-graders and 74% of third-graders attending Title 1 schools began the year at least two grade levels behind in their numeracy abilities.

In the coming years we, as a community, must act quickly to provide additional support for these children. Otherwise, they will continue to lag far behind in foundational reading and math skills, and we will experience a tremendous rise in the failure rate for thousands of children in our local neighborhoods.

Grant Supports High-dosage Tutoring and Family Empowerment

The Cisco Foundation’s Bay Area Community Impact Grant program’s mission is to close the education achievement gap for low-income kindergarten through fifth-grade students in the Bay Area.

“Students falling behind in grades K-5 potentially face limits on their access to higher education and career opportunities, especially in STEM subjects and fields. The achievement gap begins at an early age and, unfortunately, follows many of these students throughout their educational and career journey.”

Through the grant, Children Rising will enhance Path2Math programming to provide higher dosage levels of tutoring to each child in the program while enabling parents and guardians to provide more confident and enhanced academic support at home.

We believe the result of this enhanced learning approach will allow young elementary school students to prepare for more advanced learning in fifth grade, middle school, and beyond, giving them a much more equitable chance of success throughout their school years.

By strengthening the team supporting these amazing children of Oakland—parents, teachers, and tutors—many more children will become active, confident learners and thrive in school instead of dropping out.

Thanks to the Cisco Foundation. We are grateful to once again be part of the San Francisco Bay Area Community Impact Grant Program, and to work together to empower children and families in our community.

YES, I CAN empower a child to build bridges to a better future!

 I want to learn more about online reading or math clinics to see if tutoring is right for me!

I want to help fund Children Rising tutoring and mentoring programs to empower more children this year!

Your Gift Helped Haifa Graduate College

By Eric Steckel
July 5, 2022

Servant Leadership Inspires Her Pursuit of Medical Degree

2018 Eddie Scholarship winner Haifa Algabri is destined for a career in health sciences. She graduated from Mills College in May with a double major in biopsychology and public health and has ambitions to become a physician. A devout Muslim who immigrated from Yemen, she is the first member of her family to graduate.

Haifa joined CareerBridge during her time at McClymonds High School in West Oakland. The workshops she participated in prepared her for a paid summer internship that was tailor-made for her. Haifa tutored children in math at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School and assisted with the Science Horizons STEM Labs.

CareerBridge also prepared her for her next experience with Kaiser Permanente’s KP Launch Program. Career mentors helped her learn to “stabilize her energy” and communicate more professionally. “Before, I wouldn’t really know how to organize my thoughts and communicate effectively,” she explained. “Having that workshop helped me reflect on how to be an effective communicator that I continue to learn, even today.”

Children Rising’s Mission Aligned With Haifa’s Faith

“In my faith, you get held accountable for everything—even knowledge. Whatever knowledge you acquire, if it’s beneficial, you should share it,” she said. “Through servant leadership, we can use our privilege and whatever assets we have to eradicate racial injustices and any form of discrimination.”

“I’m not a person to see an issue and not do something about it.”– Haifa Algabri

That passion for racial equity intersects with her studies in public health. “I’ve noticed the STEM department at Mills College is very exclusive of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) students.” Her graduate thesis evaluated the STEM department’s role in the retention and support of BIPOC STEM students compared to other departments. “I’m not a person to see an issue and not do something about it.”

Haifa is grateful that her scholarship helped her stay financially stable throughout college. She will now turn her sights toward gaining acceptance to Medical School. Although she is an intensely-driven young lady, she puts her future career into perspective. “I would like a profession within medicine that will have balance with family and friends.” She also sees medicine as a way to be an advocate for others. Haifa is well on the path to making that a reality.

Your gifts help eager youth see beyond their neighborhood and discover their career potential. Give today!

If you are interested in mentoring an eager youth, learn more about opportunities with Children Rising.

 I want to learn more about CareerBridge to see if mentoring is right for me!

I want to help fund Children Rising tutoring and mentoring programs to empower more children this year!