Blog

Tutor News – Spring 2024

By Eric Steckel
April 26, 2024

The School Year is Nearly Over!

Thank you for generously volunteering your time with our programs. As we go into the final six weeks of tutoring, we are grateful for your willingness to give your time, energy, and talents. Let’s finish strong for the children. Thank you!

2024 Summer Literacy Elves Needed!

Succeeding by Reading is looking for a few good Literacy Elves! Help our team prepare for the coming school year. Join us for any of the following dates in June and August 2024.

June and August (not July)
Days: Tuesday and Thursday
Time: 10 a.m. to 1p.m.

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!

Summer Tutors Needed!

We are recruiting and training new math tutors for Summer 2024. If you know someone who would make a great addition to the Path2Math tutoring team, please share this opportunity with them. With the right word to the right person, you can ensure more children receive critical one-on-one tutoring this Summer.

Time Commitment

Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

Each tutoring session is one hour long. Choose as many as you like. Please contact Michelle Hutcherson if you are interested: michelle@children-rising.org.

NewTutor Training

May 1st, May 29th and June 3rd. REGISTER

Back to School Fall 2024-25

Tutor Training

New tutor training for the 2024-25 school year Tuesdays in August on the 13th, 20th, and 27th.

Refresher training for returning tutors Wednesdays in August on the 14th, 21st, and 28th.

Student Assessments will be administered September 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th at various schools.

Tutoring with students will begin September 9th. Stay tuned: We will have more details to follow.

Time Commitment
2 hours, once a week, Mon – Fri during school hours.
REGISTER

Homework Tutors Needed!

Many parents and caregivers struggle to have enough time after work to provide critical homework support at home for their children. You can assist these families by providing one-on-one homework tutoring for the students in our reading and math programs. Homework tutoring is provided during the structured after-school programming that virtually all of the children in our reading and math programs attend. Tutoring opportunities are in-person, after school, at two of our clinic sites, Sankofa United and Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary Schools.

Time Commitment: 2 hours, once a week, Mon, & Thu, 3-5 p.m.; Wed, 2-4 p.m.

Training Dates:
TBD

Other Volunteer Opportunities

If tutoring weekly is not right for you, many opportunities exist to serve your community schools. We have many service projects that support the work we do for the children.

Oakland Public Education Fund

Asian Pacific American Literature Read-In – April 29 – May 3, 2024. Join us for a fantastic literacy celebration during the Asian Pacific American Literature Read-In Week in Oakland elementary schools! We’re looking for enthusiastic volunteers to sign up for a 1.5-hour shift, where you’ll get to read aloud with classes, celebrate API History Month, and explore stories written by incredible Asian authors. No prior experience is needed, and the Oakland Public Education Fund will provide all the books. It’s a wonderful opportunity to make a positive impact, and you can choose the school and time slot that works best for you. Simply sign up below, and we’ll notify you of the specific school logistics before the event. Learn More and Register: oaklandedfund.org/one-time-volunteers. 

Project Peace East Bay

Project Peace Day East Bay will host and upcoming Day of Service on Saturday, June 22nd, 2024, from 9 a.m. to Noon at multiple East Bay locations. Choose from a variety of volunteer service opportunities, including those in Oakland schools and our friends at Harbor House. Learn More and Register

Tutor a child! Yes, I can embrace a child in a
circle of care!

 I want to tutor a child in reading or math!

I want to fund Children Rising tutoring programs!

Perspectives — Unleashing Potential Through Nonprofit Collaboration

By Jim Wambach
April 25, 2024

A call for partnerships to uplift children in Oakland schools

“Synergy is the highest activity of life; it creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional, and psychological differences between people.” — Stephen Covey

You support our pioneering spirit so that we can co-architect a brighter future for Oakland’s children.

In Oakland’s schools, nonprofit collaboration isn’t just a good thing to consider—it’s essential in order for organizations focused at the elementary school level to improve overall literacy and math skills more quickly. We must better understand and align our services and curriculum with each other—and with the principals and teachers in the schools we serve.

Imagine the power of leveraging each other’s experience, knowledge, and best practices—all centered on improving and extending our programs for the students we serve—and doing so more cost-effectively. In these challenging times, the kids and educators we serve require and deserve no less of us.

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!

Far too often, nonprofits work in silos, focused intently on OUR work for the kids. Sure, we meet with each other from time to time, but we often become so busy doing our own thing we don’t have the time to truly synergize our respective programs. There are certainly benefits to our unique approaches to serving the kids—up to a point. But in many cases, we are all like separate research and development labs.

Implementing a better community nonprofit model should be approached with urgency. It will ensure that children and schools can benefit from shared best practices and program synergy, leading to improved outcomes.

Let’s elevate our collaboration, ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive!

Collaboration with fellow nonprofits enables us to do more together for the kids.

At Children Rising, we are prioritizing nonprofit collaboration by establishing partnerships with fellow organizations that can extend and improve our programming. Our vision is to align ourselves with a network of organizations with complementary programs and expertise. In this way, there’s great promise to do more for more children and provide improved community support for our local educators.

Such collaboration hinges on shared values, vision, trust, and the exchange of best practices and resources. There are many organizations in Oakland providing high-quality programming for the kids and the schools. The time is now for us to be more intentional about active collaboration.

“By working together even more closely, we become co-architects of a brighter future for Oakland’s children.”

As one of the first members of the Oakland Literacy Coalition, we’ve witnessed the magic of shared vision and values. Each member organization brings unique expertise, weaving a tapestry of innovation and best practices. We share what works in our specific area of focus so that collectively, we have the opportunity to become more than the sum of our individual efforts.

By working together even more closely, we become co-architects of a brighter future for Oakland’s children.

Let’s do more together for our youth and our community. The kids require it—and deserve it!

Tutor a child! Yes, I can embrace a child in a
circle of care!

 I want to tutor a child in reading or math!

I want to fund Children Rising tutoring programs!

Volunteer Tutor Profile: Barbara and Rich Thompson

By Eric Steckel
April 3, 2024

Finding Joy and Purpose Together

Volunteer tutors Barbara and Rich find joy and purpose in tutoring. The journey together is as rewarding as the destination.

For retired couple Barbara and Rich Thompson, volunteering with Succeeding by Reading has been a source of joy, companionship, and purpose. Their journey began nearly 15 years ago when they attended a talk by Children Rising founder Randy Roth at Piedmont Community Church. They had recently retired and moved back to the East Bay. Randy’s words inspired them to get involved together in a new vocation.

Barbara, with her background in elementary education, and Rich sought activities to share in their retirement. They found tutoring together to be the perfect fit.

“Rich had always worked and traveled a lot. When we moved back, we didn’t have a lot of friends in the area. It was a totally different lifestyle for us. Tutoring gave us something we could share together,” Barbara said.

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!

After tutoring for 15 years, they have seen students from diverse backgrounds. Often, the children face hurdles like learning English as a second or third language or navigating the challenging effects of poverty.

“It (retirement) was a totally different lifestyle for us. Tutoring gave us something we could share together.”

“Part of it is that they’ve had different experiences. They might be in a single-parent household. It’s funny to them that this lovely woman is my wife. One girl was amazed that I was married to Barbara. I led her back to Barbara and she had a fascinating time getting to know that we are a couple,” Rich shared. “It gives them another role model and sounding board. They open up, treat us not just as a tutor but as a friend.”

Despite obstacles or different life experiences, Barbara and Rich are dedicated to making a difference, one child at a time. Their commitment goes beyond the classroom. As part of the child’s Circle of Care, they’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of one-on-one relationships, which helps children develop academically and boosts their self-esteem and belief in their potential.

Your support of Children Rising programs blesses children and tutors alike. “We feel rewarded individually and as a couple.”

One particularly touching moment was when a former student ran out to hug Rich—a testament to the impact they’ve had. “I thought to myself, ‘Wow, what a worthwhile moment.’” Rich shared.

Their journey isn’t without its challenges. They face frustrations and exhaustion, but their shared experiences strengthen their bond as a couple and as tutors. Through it all, they find fulfillment in knowing they’re making a difference, both individually and together. On the way home from tutoring, they share stories, provide encouragement, and even learn from their students’ life experiences.

“We come home and we are pretty tired when we’ve done a couple hours of tutoring. We feel rewarded individually and as a couple,” Barbara said.

Barbara and Rich embody a slightly different version of the transformative nature of one-on-one tutoring. It’s not just about teaching reading; it’s about building relationships, instilling confidence, and unlocking potential. And for them, the journey together is as rewarding as the destination.

Tutor a child!

Yes, I can embrace a child in a circle of care!

 I want to learn more about reading, math, or homework clinics to see if in-school tutoring is right for me!

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

Let’s Celebrate Global Volunteer Month

By Eric Steckel
April 1, 2024

A heartfelt “Thank you” to our amazing tutors!

During Global Volunteer Month, we express gratitude to our volunteers for providing eager children with the one-on-one tutoring they need to thrive.

April is Global Volunteer Month. We are incredibly grateful to all of our amazing volunteers. Your stories demonstrate the power we each have to positively impact the community and truly be a force of good here in Oakland and the East Bay.

We express thanks and encouragement to all of our tutors. Each week throughout the school year, you give the best of yourselves. You are the beating heart of Children Rising!

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!

You help complete a child’s “Circle of Care.”

More caring adults in the community have volunteered for reading, math, and homework tutoring this year than ever before. This is terrific news!

“In this season of their young lives, you provide (children) with a fairer chance to succeed in school … and in life.”

By coming alongside a student’s family and teachers, you nurture them in a circle of care. One-on-one tutors teach, encourage, and motivate children in a unique, caring way. In this season of their young lives, you provide them with a fairer chance to succeed in school … and in life. Thank you.

There are hundreds of children still waiting for a tutor.

Many second—and third-grade children in Oakland are still significantly behind grade level. During Global Volunteer Month, please encourage your friends, neighbors, and colleagues to join you.

Unfortunately, many second—and third-grade children in Oakland are still significantly behind grade level. Only 30% of elementary school children of color achieve grade-level reading and math skills by fourth grade. These kids, their parents, and their teachers need all of us in the community now more than ever before.

As a member of the Children Rising community, please encourage your friends, neighbors, and colleagues to join you. By volunteering their time and sharing their love and encouragement, tutors will enable many more children to rise to their God-given potential in the coming years. Together, we will nurture them in a circle of care.

Thank you to our volunteers for providing eager children with the one-on-one tutoring they need to thrive.

Tutor a child!

Yes, I can embrace a child in a circle of care!

 I want to learn more about reading, math, or homework clinics to see if in-school tutoring is right for me!

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

Volunteer Tutoring: Why Relationships Matter So Much

By Eric Steckel
April 1, 2024

One-on-one tutoring helps complete a child’s circle of care

“It’s all about relationships.”

Relationships take time to grow and develop. Your support of Children Rising ensures that tutors can work one-on-one with children struggling in reading and math.

If you have spent a year as a tutor, you are no doubt nodding your head in agreement. The relationship between a child and their tutor is precious. Once trust is built, that’s when the magic happens, and learning is amplified. That’s why Children Rising’s one-on-one volunteer tutoring programs are so special.

Your time pouring love and attention into an eager child is a critical component. You give them the one-on-one support they need to succeed in school … and in life.

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!

Sometimes, forging those critical relationships takes time and determination. Some children are defensive and have their guard up. Others struggle with reading or math and know it. They may feel embarrassed and act out to conceal what they don’t know. However, relationships form over time, with care and patience, and that is when child learning takes off.

“In January, Samuel returned, and things changed. It was like a switch flipped in him. He was suddenly glad to see me.”

This year I personally experienced a slowly-formed relationship with Samuel, a second-grader in Path2Math. When tutoring commenced in October, Samuel let us know he did not want to participate in math club and did not want to work with me. I was concerned that I wouldn’t make that breakthrough with Samuel.

Samuel has worked hard, especially since a strong relationship formed between him and his tutor. Now, he proudly shows off his work, delighted by his progress.

I didn’t know that Samuel was also struggling outside of Path2Math. English was his second language, and learning in the classroom was difficult. When he became increasingly disruptive in class, he took a monthlong break from math club at his teacher’s request.

In January, Samuel returned, and things changed. It was like a switch flipped in him. He was suddenly glad to see me, and even gave me a big hug when he came in from recess. He worked hard, both in math club and at home. Over the past two months, he has accelerated his learning in ways I could never have imagined. When he started, he was at a kindergarten level in math. Despite the interruption in tutoring, he has advanced an entire grade level in his math scores.

Samuel still has a ways to go to get to grade level in math. But now that we are working as partners, he is eager to learn and succeed. It was all about the relationship!

A young child is looking for you to make a connection so they can soar in school … and in life!

Tutor a child! Yes, I can embrace a child in a
circle of care!

 I want to tutor a child in reading or math!

I want to fund Children Rising tutoring programs!