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Why Math AND Reading Are Critical for Future Success

By Jim Wambach
March 17, 2025

Building Early Confidence and a Love for Numbers is Essential.

Your support of free math tutoring for children in Oakland’s lowest-income neighborhoods will have a significant impact on their long-term earnings throughout life. You are helping children break free from the cycle of poverty.

A recent study from the Urban Institute underscores the significant impact of early math skills on an individual’s long-term earnings. Reading is a critical academic skill to acquire. However, as reported in an article by The 74, “Math achievement in adolescence is more strongly associated with future earnings than reading achievement or other factors like behavior and social skills.” This underscores why we must consider achieving math fluency and literacy with a similar sense of urgency and priority for our elementary school children.

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!

At Children Rising, we recognize that math and reading are crucial building blocks for lifelong success. Unfortunately, 70% of the children in Oakland’s lowest-income neighborhoods are two or more grade levels behind in their understanding of basic math and numbers. This is particularly true for Black and Latino students, who suffer from systemic educational inequities. Without intervention, these children continue to see themselves as incapable of understanding math. Most will give up on math and are far more likely to struggle in middle school and beyond, substantially limiting their academic and life opportunities.

“I think we’ve taken math identity and agency away from kids, and just squashed the love that you find in 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds when they’re exploring numbers. Kids just really get turned off of mathematics, so I think we’re fighting that right now.” – DeAnn Huinker, professor of math instruction at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Too often, children and adults believe they are “not good at math.” Sadly, in many cases, the children have lost their natural love and curiosity for numbers. Math is a skill that can be learned and developed by EVERYONE with the proper support. That’s why our Path2Math program provides free math tutoring for second and third-graders in Oakland, helping students develop foundational math skills and critical reasoning abilities. Equally important, our tutors build caring relationships that foster confidence and resilience in young learners. And we make math fun for the kids!

Path2Math provides free math tutoring for second and third-graders in Oakland, helping students develop foundational math skills and critical reasoning abilities.

If we want to break the cycle of poverty, we must start by overcoming the educational inequity in our community schools. By providing children with free, one-on-one math intervention, we can help them build a solid foundation for future success in middle school, high school, and beyond. Community volunteers play a powerful role in this effort—anyone can be a fantastic math tutor with the right training and desire to empower a child’s ability to learn and succeed.

Tutor a child! Yes, I can help a child learn reading and math!

 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!

Perspectives — As the Children Rising Community Grows, Our Children and Youth Pay it Forward

By Jim Wambach
February 3, 2022

“If you send out goodness from yourself, or if you share that which is happy or good within you, it will all come back to you multiplied ten thousand times.” – John O’Donohue

I’ve often spoken about how wonderful the Children Rising community is—and it is indeed remarkable—but I’ve never really defined it. The Children Rising community is composed of volunteers, local educators, faith communities, service organizations, local businesses, and financial supporters, all working together and committed to improving the lives of the children and youth in Oakland.

Now, after 20 years of this community investing in the children and youth, those children and youth are becoming active members of this special community themselves—more and more each year. Grateful for the love and care poured into them over the years, many are passionate about giving back and “paying it forward” to the next generation. Many are experiencing the satisfaction of temporarily putting aside their own challenges to invest their personal time to serve others, realizing they have their own special gifts that they can offer to someone else. The articles in this newsletter provide a glimpse of this very special dynamic. We are watching how the city can heal itself when given a chance to do so.

The Children Rising community—volunteers, local educators, faith communities, service organizations, local businesses, and financial supporters— are working together and committed to improving the lives of the children and youth in Oakland.

We believe there is something extraordinary about Oakland—this city where God has placed us to serve. We are proud of its vibrant history, cultural significance and achievements, and the tenacity of our diverse people to not just survive but thrive. From lifelong residents to newcomers, the people of this city hunger for a future of equal opportunity and prosperity.

We believe in this city and will continue to work with all individuals, organizations, and institutions in this community to fight for our children’s futures so that Oakland might become a beacon of hope and light for the rest of the nation. This is not something that happens overnight, but each piece of “goodness” we send out keeps that beacon alight and shining brighter than ever. As we start a new year, one which is still challenged by COVID and the many inequities caused by years of social injustices, we see a reason for much hope.

Thank you to the Children Rising community for what you do and the way you do it. You have made a difference in thousands of lives over the years, and I believe we are all just getting started.

For the children,

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!

A Changing of the Board

By Eric Steckel
December 14, 2021

We say farewell to Jonathan Mayes and Marti Pozzi, two board members who went above and beyond to empower children and youth in our community.

Over the years, Children Rising has been blessed with a passionate, dedicated, diverse board of directors. The combined skill sets and unique perspectives each and every board member brings to the organization have guided us and made us stronger.

A board of directors is an ever-evolving group. Each year, we say farewell as board members’ terms come to an end, grateful for their contributions to empower children and youth in our community. And each year, we welcome new members to the board, each of whom brings a new passion and enthusiasm to come alongside the kids.

This past fall, Children Rising was left with some big shoes to fill. Fortunately, we have found a pair of eager new board members to ensure that the organization goes from strength to strength.

Jonathan Mayes joined the Children Rising board in 2015 and served as the board chair for the past two years. As the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Albertson’s Companies, he brought a keen understanding of the needs of the children, youth, and families in under-resourced communities. In addition to his steady leadership, Jonathan participated on numerous committees, including the Gala planning committee. His willingness to get up on stage—in a sombrero if need be—to share a message of hope and vision for the future will be missed.

Marti Pozzi has served on the board since 2018, readily volunteering for key committees, including the gala, re-branding, and community development committees. Marti has been an accomplished and acclaimed leader in fast-growth, high-tech companies for 30 years. Her deep business experience combined with leadership positions on additional nonprofit boards consistently brought high-value, innovative ideas and opportunities for growth to Children Rising.

Meca Wanger and Henrietta Fabio join the board of directors with passion and enthusiasm to come alongside the kids.

In October, Meca Wagner joined the board looking to become more involved with Children Rising. As Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for Caltrans Bay Area, Meca has hosted CareerBridge interns since 2017 and knows first-hand the impact our programs have on children and youth. “I value the importance of being in service to others and activism. Serving on the board of Children Rising will provide me the opportunity to do both,” Meca shared.

Henrietta Fabio joined the board in November. Henrietta, a native of Oakland and a graduate of Castelemont High School, retired after spending over 30 years in the insurance and financial planning industry. With such deep community roots, she has devoted her time and energy volunteering to improve Oakland neighborhoods. Henrietta was drawn to the Children Rising board from a shared belief that, “We are indeed a community called by God to work for the health, welfare, and prosperity of Oakland.”

With profound gratitude, we thank all of our board members, past and present. A nonprofit organization is only as good as its collective members, and we have benefited from some of the best on our board of directors. Thank you.

To Marti and Jonathan, we wish you all the best.

To Henrietta and Meca, welcome aboard. We look forward to rolling up our sleeves and working together… for the children.

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!

20 Years of Children Rising to Their God-given Potential

By Children Rising
November 1, 2021

Special Contribution by Randy Roth, founder and former Executive Director at Children Rising

“Seek the shalom (peace and prosperity) of the city to which I have carried you.” — Jeremiah 29:7

When I reflect on 20 years of nurturing and empowering children in our community to rise to their God-given potential, I can’t help but go back even further in time. In 1988, I was asked to serve as the senior pastor at First Covenant Church of Oakland. I told the pastoral search committee, “My call is to be of service to the entire city, not just the church.” They took me at my word, and I eagerly moved my family from Oregon to the East Bay.

This idea of serving a community was based on my reading of Jeremiah 29: “Seek the shalom (peace and prosperity) of the city to which I have carried you.” Again and again, I was reminded of what Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount: “You are the salt of the earth…” I think salt is usually in small containers because a little goes a long way, but the key is getting salt out of the shaker and into the community! We need entry points for folks to be beacons of light in a practical way. Children Rising provides opportunities for communities of faith to increasingly turn inside out. Not preaching, but putting words into action.

For 20 years, you have helped us hold a crown before our students, and we have watched them grow into it.

“Small acts of grace and attention, like mustard seeds, will continue to have an accumulative impact on a child’s future.” — Randy Roth

At the same time, we have never limited ourselves to churches. There are so many caring people out there who want to come alongside the children in our community. I am reminded of a new tutor at Laurel Elementary School many years ago. I watched her tutor a young child. Without telling her who I was or my role, I asked her about tutoring. She said, “You know, my neighbor is a member of First Covenant Church, but I am not. She told me all about the tutoring program, and I asked if I can help too.”

Of course! There are many wonderful children looking for a little extra care.

As I look forward to the next 20 years, partnerships will be foundational to the continued growth of Children Rising. From the very beginning, we did not project our values or ideas onto the schools. We first listened to the needs of the schools. We then served those needs in order to empower the kids. We saw that children and families were stressed, and we engaged with them, developing caring, meaningful relationships.

The momentum is with us. I pray for wisdom to continue listening, and discerning, and not imposing agendas. As ever, small acts of grace and attention, like mustard seeds, will continue to have an accumulative impact on a child’s future. It’s all about holding a crown before our students and then watching them grow into it.

For the children,

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!

Perspectives – A Community Comes Together – For the Children

By Jim Wambach
October 13, 2020

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.” — Coretta Scott King

When the schools in Oakland abruptly closed in March, children were confused and isolated. Many parents, out of a job, had serious concerns about supporting their families. Our educators, with a tremendous love for the children, scrambled to provide distance learning overnight. All of us who work with the children all year greatly missed seeing them and had an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

As the enormity of the COVID-19 challenge became more apparent, there were more questions than answers. How were the schools going to continue to support the critically important meal programs? How will our educators, tasked with understanding the moving target of COVID-19, plan for the fall? How will the thousands of children without a computer or internet connectivity participate in distance learning? How will programs like Children Rising’s in-school tutoring programs reach the thousands of children that were falling further and further behind? Nelson Mandela once said, “It always seems impossible until it’s done”.

“The Oakland community compassionately came together for the children and is working hard for their recovery from this pandemic.”

The amazing Oakland community proved Mandela was correct by coming together for the children – fueled by volunteers. Individuals and companies provided funding to close the digital divide, ensuring every OUSD student had their own computer and an internet connection. The schools, with the help of many new volunteers, distributed all of the meals the children would normally have received in school – all the way through the summer! The Alameda County Community Food Bank, supported by hundreds of volunteers, provided food to thousands of families and people who were out of work due to COVID-19. Nonprofits, including Children Rising, created ways to immediately help families financially, while fully adapting their programs to support the children in the new academic year. Faith communities and volunteers who were supporting in-school programs before the pandemic offered to learn new ways to help the children.

You stepped up as part of our amazing Oakland community, proving that the impossible can be done.

As Henry Ford said: “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress, and working together is success”. The Oakland community compassionately came together for the children and is working hard for their recovery from this pandemic. All of us at Children Rising are inspired to be a part of this wonderful community, and it is a privilege to do our part as we all rise to the challenge.

YES, I CAN help a promising child develop academic and life skills at a critical time in their life!

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

 I want help fund Children Rising tutoring and mentoring programs!

A Time to Build Up

By Children Rising
January 27, 2018

by Jim Wambach, Executive Director

Children Rising is in the midst of an exciting season as 2018 begins.  Building on the program benefits realized by the many “at-promise” children in our community during the last several school years, we are aggressively investing in our ability to both enhance these programs and to make it possible to serve even more children.

This is a particularly important time for us to have a heightened focus on enhanced programming and expanding the delivery of our programs. When the school year began, we were aware that the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), the primary district we support, was facing serious budgetary challenges. Since then, a $9 million budget reduction for the current school year has been implemented. This further reduces funding at the individual school sites, driving up already stressed student-teacher ratios while greatly reducing – and even eliminating – additional student support services.

Students at the STEAM Lab at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School

The many OUSD schools we serve clearly need more of our support as they work through these key fiscal challenges over the next several years. We stand poised to provide additional help to the schools that are feeling the stress. Accordingly, our board agreed on a budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year that allowed for an additional investment of $125,000 into our programs, a significant portion of our overall budget.

Over the past 6 months we have grown our program staffing levels in order to increase both our capacity for program development and our ability to support more children. Our entire staff has been working diligently to enhance program content, improve learning tools, and improve program benefit measurements – all while continuing to support our 300 wonderful volunteers who are helping more than 1,100 children in over 25 schools!

We are excited about this time of growth and, with continued prayers and the support of our community, we hope to be able to provide more benefits to more of Oakland’s at-promise children in the coming months and years.

Happy Holidays!

By Children Rising
January 4, 2018

Children Rising staff: (top row) Rebecca Buckley, Jim Wambach, Rebekah Wilson, Eric Steckel, Dave Sundman, Ashley Verinsky, Margena Wade-Green, Michelle Hutcherson, Charlotte Martinez, (bottom row) Gwen Stephens, Brenda Paulin, Kim Farnham-Flom, Pearl Wang, Chelsea Boniak, Pam May, Carolyn Piraino

Dear Children Rising Community,

Together we are making a difference for so many “at-promise” children! In the 5 short months since I joined this wonderful community, I find myself grateful each day to be able to join all of you in this wonderful mission.

All of us at Children Rising wish each of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a New Year guided by Faith, Hope, and Love – and filled with good health, peace, and joy!

For the Children,

Jim

Perspectives

By Children Rising
December 6, 2017

“Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back.” – Chinese Proverb

Dear Children Rising Community,

As you may know, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is experiencing significant budget challenges – challenges that the school board and administration are working extremely hard to address. If successful (and I believe they will be), they will have taken a substantial step toward establishing a brighter, more promising future, and securing a stronger foundation for public education for the children of Oakland.

However, in order to do so, the administration must slash more than $15 million from the current school year budget, substantially reducing the dollar amount budgeted for each child during this year. Approximately $5.6 million of those cuts directly impact individual school budgets. Every principal will have some very difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks.

Children Rising stands ready to provide additional help to these principals and teachers who are working hard to support the children during this fiscal crisis. We are preparing to expand our capacity to help during this important time, but will need the continued support of our wonderful Children Rising community in order to do so.

Here’s how you can help:

Join our amazing team of volunteer reading and math tutors. Your personal investment of one to two hours almost any day of the week can literally change the trajectory of a child’s life. Children Rising provides the training and ongoing support to ensure your success with each child. Email volunteer@children-rising.org or call us at (510) 836-5100 to learn more.

Support our December Matching Fund Campaign. We are working hard to add to our funds this year so we can respond to the additional needs of the principals and teachers with expanded services. Generous donors who have already pledged $60,000 will match every dollar of your donation. We hope to raise an additional $60,000 by December 31st to reach or exceed our campaign goal of $120,000. Please send a check with the enclosed donation slip or visit www.children-rising.org/donate/ to make a donation.

Use your company’s Employee Matching Gifts Program. Visit our company match page to find out if your company participates: www.children-rising.org/donate/#company-match.

As always, your partnership is essential to Children Rising’s mission of preparing today’s youth for fulfilling, productive living in the 21st century. This year, your support takes on an even greater purpose. Every donation postmarked by December 31, 2017 will not only be tax-deductible, but will be a gift that keeps on giving – yielding returns for generations to come.

For the Children,

Jim

Join us for our first Reading Tutor Training of the new year!

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

3:00 to 5:30 pm

Children Rising Office

To RSVP, contact Succeeding by Reading Director Rebecca Buckley at rebecca@children-rising.org.

Meet Dave Sundman!

By Children Rising
December 6, 2017

In October, we welcomed Dave to the Children Rising team as CareerBridge Program Manager. Since 2015, Dave has been living in Oakland where he discovered his passion for mission ministries and education. In addition to Children Rising, Dave also serves at Cityteam Oakland Program and has founded a God-centered organization called DIVIN3KINGDOM, which uses hip-hop and mentorship to inspire youth to serve within their community. He’s currently studying to be an English Professor. In his free time Dave loves to play basketball and run around beautiful Lake Merritt.

Call and Response

By Children Rising
December 6, 2017

Article by Dave Sundman, CareerBridge Program Manager

Principal Steele helping a student with Microsoft Excel.

One of the things Children Rising strives to do is to be responsive to needs expressed by teachers and staff. A month or so into the school year, Principal Betsye Steele of Ralph J. Bunche Academy voiced her concern that, due to scheduling issues, students graduating in December wouldn’t be around to complete CareerBridge’s Business Essentials series, which is 24 hours of instruction spread over many weeks.

With Ms. Steele and other Ralph Bunche staff, program directors Margena Wade-Green and Michelle Hutcherson came up with a condensed version of the series, the majority of which took place in an intensive 6-hour workshop on a Saturday. The Saturday workshop not only simplified the scheduling process but, as Ms. Steele explained, was more impactful because it placed all instruction “into a business management context so that the children could get the full and deepened experience of working in an office and business workplace.”

Stoking the enthusiasm of high school students attending class on a sunny Saturday morning can be a difficult task but we encountered a surprising level of excitement at the Business Administration Certification Workshop. Students were eager to discuss their plans for future businesses ranging from cosmetology studios to restaurants to black-owned financial institutions. They began to see how each subject and skill might play a role in their personal career development. Witnessing their passionate involvement was exciting for all of us instructors.

It was a blessing to see these students realize that being a business owner is an accomplishment within their reach! By listening to and collaborating with Ralph Bunche staff, we were able to serve more students more effectively.

“I can say with confidence that Career Bridge is one of the most effective programs I’ve ever engaged with in 6 years of youth engagement. Our school community is grateful for their expertise and professionalism and look forward to impacting more youth.”

Terrence Holliday, Work-Based Learning Liaison at Ralph J. Bunche Academy

October Announcements

By Sophia Wambach
October 2, 2017

Reading clinics have just started, but it’s not at all too late to join.

There are many struggling readers in need of tutors. We are always recruiting tutors, even during the school year.

Email volunteer@children-rising.org to sign up for a training session. And bring a friend!

Saturday, October 7, 9:00 – 11:30 am

Tuesday, October 17, 3:00 – 5:30 pm

Saturday, November 4, 9:00 – 11:30 am

________________________________________________

Our annual Matching Fund Campaign is kicking off soon!

Keep an eye on your mail for the details, which we will be sending out later this month.

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Student Spotlight: Karyn Lee

By Sophia Wambach
October 2, 2017

In September, our CareerBridge directors Margena Wade-Green and Michelle Hutcherson received a wonderful email from a CareerBridge student.

Karyn Lee at Caltrans

Subject: Thank You

Dear Ms. Margena and Ms. Michelle,

I never got the chance to formally thank you for giving me an opportunity to intern at Caltrans through your program. I learned so much and it was an experience that I will never forget. I liked Caltrans so much that I decided to apply for a permanent intern position. I am happy to share that I was offered the position and I start this Friday. I will be working in the same department that I interned in. This opportunity would not have been possible if it wasn’t for you ladies. I am forever grateful, thank you!

Sincerely,

Karyn Lee

Karyn, we are so happy for you! CareerBridge exists so that we can give you and other resilient students opportunities, training, and experience to pursue a successful career. Thank you for letting us know how we’ve helped you!

From Michelle Hutcherson, Assistant Director of CareerBridge: My first impression of Karyn was that she was shy and quiet. Once you spend any length of time with her, you learn that, wow, this young lady is full of personality, very sharp, bold, beautiful, and speaks her mind.  It was a real pleasure working with Karyn this summer.

About Karyn Lee: Karyn, 21, worked as an Intern at Caltrans in the Public Affairs Department through CareerBridge this past summer. At 13, her father passed away, making the transition into high school very hard. She attended 5 high schools and a boarding school before dropping out, defeated. 

When Karyn turned 17, she realized that she had zero school credits. She decided not to let life get the best of her. Karyn enrolled in an independent studies program in Oakland and completed 4 years of high school in 2 years with honors. She was accepted to 29 colleges and is currently majoring in English at Holy Names University. When she graduates, she will pursue a career in journalism. In her spare time she enjoys singing and writing a blog. Karyn wants others to know, it’s never too late to reach your goals. Perseverance is the key to being successful in life.

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Times of Refreshing

By Sophia Wambach
October 2, 2017

Returning tutors learning from Rebecca Buckley, Director of SbR

On a bright Wednesday morning in September, close to fifty reading tutors filled our Children Rising office almost to bursting. The event? Our yearly Returning Tutor Refresher Training.

Some attendees were returning tutors who joined us just last year or who are coming back after a hiatus. Others were long-time tutors who have faithfully come back year after year, but still welcome the chance to refresh and refine their methods for the sake of their students. Every struggling reader is different and so even seasoned tutors benefit from a refresher course and learning from other tutors.

This will be the fifth year that I’ve done the tutoring. I just enjoy it so much because the kids are so happy for the attention. They love to come and they love to make progress. It’s just a feel-good day all the way around. For me too ‘cause I feel like I’m helping and really accomplishing something with them. – Carole Johnson, Reading Tutor

Tutor Andy Anderson and Clinic Coordinator Gwen Stephens

One thing that tutors appreciated at this refresher training was a color-coded visual organization of the Emerging Readers’ Learning Sequence. Each of five colors represents a learning level. Teaching tools are labeled by correspondingly colored dots. This helps tutors to know which materials to use and what books to move onto once their student has mastered a level in a specific area, such as sight words or phonics.

Because volunteers are Children Rising’s most valuable resource, we prioritize training, guidance, and ongoing support for our volunteers. In Succeeding by Reading, that means new tutor trainings, returning tutor trainings, an abundance of carefully selected learning materials, and clinic coordinators who provide onsite guidance and supervision. Our hope is to cultivate volunteers so that we can serve more students every year and have a deep impact on each individual child.

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Upcoming Tutor Trainings

By Children Rising
August 28, 2017

Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You can vote in elections once a year but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in. -Unknown

Our Succeeding by Reading Clinics will start up in a month! Email volunteer@children-rising.org to sign up for a training session. Trainings take place at the Children Rising Office.

Saturday, September 23 , 9:00 – 11:30 am

Saturday, October 7, 9:00 – 11:30 am

Tuesday, October 17, 3:00 – 5:30 pm

Saturday, November 4, 9:00 – 11:30 am

Back to BLOG posts

How Did We Do in 2016-2017?

By Children Rising
August 28, 2017

CareerBridge: Hard at Work
In the spring CareerBridge trained 45 students from Ralph Bunche Academy and McClymonds High School in college and career readiness through our Business Essentials Workshops. Six students were partnered with wonderful volunteer mentors. In the summer, we placed 17 students, including those with mentors, at BART, Brain Balance, Caltrans, Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, and the Children Rising office for five- to six-week paid summer internships.

Science Horizons: Full STEAM ahead
Our Science Horizon program provided a full-service STEAM* Lab to the entire Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School (300+ students), and more than one hundred students at PLACE at Prescott Elementary!

Last year, we served Piedmont Avenue Elementary and Laurel Elementary through five math tutors at each school, reaching 20 students per week at each location.

Science Horizons was instrumental in arranging field trips to Lawrence Berkeley Labs for 7 schools, Mission Springs Outdoor Education for 10 schools, and participation in Oakland Aviation Day for 6 schools.

*STEAM is shorthand for an educational emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.

Succeeding by Reading: Moving Mountains
Have you ever moved a mountain? Succeeding by Reading tutors witness students moving mountains every year as they build skills in phonics, memorize high-frequency words, grow into fluent readers, and begin to experience academic success.
In the 2016-2017 school year, we provided individual reading instruction for 310 students. Two-thirds (67%) of our full-year students improved by two grade levels or more in their reading skills! Special thanks to our 142 reading tutors for investing time, attention, and devotion in the lives of our mountain-moving new readers.

Health4Kids: We Did What?! 
Children Rising has worked with the Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB) since 2006. The ACCFB volunteer coordinator recently sent us some unexpected and inspiring stats.

Since 2006…
Volunteer participants: 3667
Hours Volunteered: 7460
Bags distributed: 239,025

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Perspectives: What We Do in the Present

By Children Rising
August 28, 2017

“The future depends on what we do in the present.”
– Mahatma Gandhi –

As another school year begins, the above quote very much resonated with me. There are few areas of the future we can all individually impact as much as when we help our wonderful children to have a good start in life. Giving hope to at-promise students by closing the achievement gap in our urban public schools profoundly changes the trajectory of children’s lives. We’ve seen it happen year after year!

This is our mission here at Children Rising and – together with our many community partners, schools, and amazing volunteers – we have been able to help thousands of children over the years. Our ability to serve and

impact the East Bay community has grown each year and we are planning to serve more children with improved programs this year. But… we can’t do it without you!

“Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.”
– Josh Shipp –

As a Children Rising volunteer, you can change a life by

• Helping a child become a successful reader and lifelong lover of learning
• Opening up the world of science and the great outdoors to urban kids
• Sharpening a student’s math and critical thinking skills
• Mentoring a high school student in preparation for workplace internships
• Enabling children to receive proper nutrition so they are better able to learn

All Children Rising volunteers are provided training, materials, and ongoing coaching by our experienced staff. Only a small amount of time is required and the rewards you receive in return are priceless!

Thank you to our many dedicated volunteers who help year after year. And to those of you who have not yet had a chance to volunteer, thank you in advance for any time you can give as we continue to serve the children of our community.

For the children,

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President’s Corner: Transition Time

By Children Rising
July 5, 2017

As many of you know, I am retiring from serving as Children Rising’s president as of June 30, 2017. It’s time for fresh vision, energetic enthusiasm, and discerning wisdom for Children Rising to move into the next level of mission impact.

During this time of transition, one of our founding principles comes to mind: “Children Rising is committed to continuity and therefore strives to sustain what we start, to count the cost and to build a mission that will outlast its founders.” Our Executive Director search team has taken this to heart and will make an announcement soon regarding my successor.

With your sustained support, encouragement, and prayers, Children Rising can and will go deeper and wider in its outreach to at-promise children and youth. My wife Diane joins me in expressing heartfelt appreciation for 16 years of fruitful, fulfilling ministry. We will miss our day-to-day direct involvement, but we won’t retire from supporting Children Rising in other ways.

My years of service here have led me to this heartfelt conviction: You can craft impressive programs, but programs don’t change kids’ lives, people do. Pairing a child with a caring, attentive, and positive adult role model has the potential of changing the trajectory of that child’s life.

At our Excel Reading Clinic closing celebrations, students receive certificates of achievement and positive feedback from their tutors. The students then get the opportunity to say something about their tutors. I’ll never forget the second grade girl who looked out on the entire tutoring team and blurted: “When I get older, I want to marry all of you!” This was her way of saying, You’re my extended family.

This is the heart of Children Rising: We are an extended family to hundreds of children, thanks to the tutors and mentors who walk beside them, cheering them on, holding a crown before them and watching them grow into it – all of which is made possible by generous financial donors.

Together, we can. Together we will make Hope for Children Now a reality for vulnerable children in Oakland and throughout the East Bay. So here’s my challenge:

Get involved, stay involved, recruit others to join this great and urgent cause. Our children are our future!

For the children,

Founder of Children Rising

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Win a pair of Warriors Tickets!

By Children Rising
May 30, 2017

You can win one of our amazing raffle prizes whether you attend the gala or not!

Unless you plan to purchase raffle tickets at the gala, please CALL IN (510-836-5100) your raffle order by Thursday, June 1, 4:45 pm.

Raffle ticket prices are

$10 for 1 ticket

$25 for 3 tickets

$50 for 7 tickets.

Raffle tickets will also be on sale at the gala.

Prizes include:

WARRIORS TICKETS – 2 tickets to 1 Golden State Warriors game during the 2017-18 season. Details: Game date subject to agreement between winner and season ticket holder. Estimated value: $450.

PEBBLE BEACH VACATION – 3-night stay at a vacation home in Pebble Beach. Sleeps up to 6 guests. Estimated Value: $1,000.

YOUNTVILLE CASITA – 2-night stay for 2 people at a private Yountville Casita. Estimated Value: $1,000.

HORNBLOWER CRUISE – Brunch or dinner for 4 aboard a Hornblower Cruise. Value: $420.

FOURSOME OF GOLF AT MIRA VISTA COUNTRY CLUB – One round of golf for 4 players, including golf cars and range balls. Value: $400.

WINE – 6 bottles of assorted premium wines. Value: $420.

For detailed information about raffle prizes, visit children-rising.org/raffle.

Gala attendees, don’t forget about the live auction! Bid on a 3-night stay at Dreams Los Cabos during the gala! Estimated value: $2,500.

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Gala

By Sophia Wambach
March 31, 2017

Children Rising’s

Annual Hope for Children Now Benefit Gala

Register Here!

Saturday, June 3, 2017
Scottish Rite Grand Ballroom
Lake Merritt, Oakland

For more information, call the office at 510.836.5100, or email chelsea@children-rising.org.

Register Here!

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Science-Hopping

By Sophia Wambach
March 31, 2017

Once every month, every student at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary (MLK) gets a class visit to the STEAM-Coding Lab, which is led by Margena Wade-Green and Michelle Hutcherson, our Director and Assistant Director of Science Horizons. The STEAM-Coding lab allows students to work with hands-on science activities to augment what they’ve learned in their regular science classes. Children Rising volunteers and CareerBridge student interns from McClymonds High School assist with helping students to complete the activities.

On a Tuesday in January, Mr. Henderson’s class arrived at the STEAM-Coding Lab to find seven science stations set up at different tables. It wasn’t long before the classroom was abuzz with delighted children discovering and turning over new ideas.

The table that showcased It’s A Bug’s Life allowed students to examine real insects and plastic replicas using magnifying glasses.

At Money Matters, students took turns roleplaying cashier and customer, utilizing cash counting and math skills while also practicing common courtesy.

Students were challenged to theorize at the Water Conservation station. Why did California have a water shortage? What will happen if we ran out of water? How can we conserve water? On learning that, because of the water cycle, the water we drink is the same water dinosaurs drank many years ago, the students all chorused “Ewwww!” in delighted disgust.

At Computer Coding, students went online to code.org and worked through lessons that are designed to inspire critical thinking in technology.

To learn about building the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge at Build SFOBB, students got to construct a very simple self-anchored suspension bridge.

Can You Hear Me Now? provided students with funnels, tubing, and cups with string to show them how sound travels using vibrations.

And last but definitely not least, students made ice cream the old-fashioned way (shaking cream, sugar, and flavorings in a bag) at the ever-popular We All Scream for Ice Cream! station while they learned about the ice-melting properties of salt. Unsurprisingly, their favorite part was eating the sweet results!

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President’s Corner: Following Students Forward

By Children Rising
March 31, 2017

Looking back on 16 years of outreach to East Bay schools, I find it mind-boggling to think that we’ve had the honor of knowing and supporting thousands of students. Where most of them are today, I wish I knew. In most cases a child comes into one of our programs for a year or two and they move on and we lose contact. But there are those precious few we’ve kept in touch with. I have a sticky note on my desk entitled “Following Students Forward”.  Among those on that list is Jaqui Marquez.

Jaqui at the 2014 Hope For Children Now benefit gala

We met Jaqui in 2009 when she was an eighth grader at Longfellow Middle School in Berkeley. Thanks to funding from First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, we were able to establish the Max Martinez Scholarship program at Longfellow to provide educational assistance, mentoring, and college scholarships to students with high academic potential coming from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Scholarship recipients would receive a $2,000 award to be held in a savings account and awarded upon having graduated from high school and providing proof of full-time enrollment in college.

In the spring of 2009 Jaqui applied for the competitive scholarship. On the basis of her GPA, recommendations, and personal essay she emerged as one of the finalists. Because of her challenges, resilience and determination, she was selected to receive the scholarship. I’ll not forget Jaqui standing on stage on her eighth grade graduation day and receiving the award presented by the late Max Martinez’s wife, Charlotte.

Jaqui went on to graduate from Berkeley High School. Currently she is a junior at UCLA, majoring in biochemistry. You go, Jaqui!

For the children,

Randy

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President’s Corner: Tommy the Storyteller

By Children Rising
February 2, 2017

On Tuesdays, I volunteer at the Excel Reading Clinic at Prescott Elementary. This year, one of the boys I tutor is Tommy, a third-grader. When Tommy walks into the room he flashes me a warm smile and then we do the secret handshake. After taking his seat beside me, we work on sight words then phonics, followed by reading non-fiction and fiction books, which he gets to choose.

During the course of the school year, I usually ask my student– Tommy in this case– to tell me a real or make-believe story, which I write down word for word. Without skipping a beat Tommy began telling me about his recent trip to Disneyland. When he was finished I read his story back to him. What Tommy didn’t know was that I would take my chicken scratch back to my office, transcribe it into a word document and ask Pearl Wang, our office administrator, to add appropriate graphics. Next comes the fun part: returning to school with the finished product. I brought several extra copies to be shared with the principal, his teacher and family members. Tommy was wide-eyed as he pored over his illustrated story in print. Behold the storyteller is now an author! Tommy proceeded to read his own creation articulately with expression. You go, Tommy!

For the children,

Randy Roth

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Newsletter Assembly Volunteer

By Sophia Wambach
February 2, 2017

Children Rising is looking for volunteers to help us assemble the hardcopy newsletters that we send out every month. We usually get together the morning of the last Friday of every month for a day of chatting, snacks and stuffing envelopes. It’s low-key and chock full of great conversation.

Keep It Humming

By Children Rising
February 1, 2017

Health4Kids has been humming along, now in its twelfth year in partnership with the Alameda County Community Food Bank. This year, we’re serving close to 4,000 people, distributing 2,600 bags of nutritious food to families in Alameda County every month of the school year. Our wonderful volunteers fill and process these bags at the Food Bank. The bags then are distributed to schools where they are picked up by students and their families.

Richard Soennichsen and Cynthia Naton are one of several couples that serve alongside us.

They’ve been bagging for eight years! Their neighbors in Alameda invited them to join us back in 2009. There are many ways that Richard and Cynthia give to their community, including taking those same neighbors grocery shopping weekly as age has limited their friends’ transportation access.

Richard is a retired engineer and Cynthia is a retired therapist who also worked with Child Protective Services.

We are deeply grateful for their faithful commitment to this important work.

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:35, 40 NIV)

Article by Charlotte Martinez, Director of Health4Kids

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Tutor Training – Feb. 7

By Children Rising
February 1, 2017

You are invited to learn more about becoming a reading tutor at our upcoming Tutor Training!

When: Tuesday, February 7 3:00 – 5:30 pm

Where: All trainings held at our office:
2633 Telegraph Ave, #412
Oakland, CA 94612.

Training materials and yummy snacks will be provided.  Sign up with Rebecca at rebecca@children-rising.org or call our office at 510.836.5100.

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President’s Corner: Shalom Oakland

By Children Rising
February 1, 2017

As we enter a tumultuous new year, shalom (a Hebrew word encompassing peace, prosperity, health, wholeness) is a renewed yearning of my hopes and prayers.

Back in the early 1980s, Jeremiah 29:7 became embedded in my spirit:

“Seek the shalom of the city where I have sent you, and pray to the LORD on its behalf; for in its shalom you will find your shalom…”.

Jeremiah directed this admonition from God to Jewish captives in Babylon. Imagine being one of God’s people hearing their prophet calling on them to seek the shalom of their captors! In contrast, false prophets were offering false comfort, spreading messages like, “God will soon liberate us and we will return home to Jerusalem.” Jeremiah’s message was resolutely discomforting. The Jews would remain enslaved in a foreign land for 70 years. God’s will was for the Israelite sojourners to pray for the shalom of Babylon, plant vineyards, build houses and bear children.

I’m reminded of a memorable sermon preached by Mark Labberton, then Senior Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, and currently President of Fuller Theological Seminary. The title of Mark’s message was “Exodus or Exile?” In the days of Moses the Israelites experienced a dramatic Exodus when they were delivered from enslavement in Egypt. Many centuries later they we

The view from Children Rising’s office balcony overlooking 27th Street on January 20, 2017.

re forced into Exile to live as strangers in a foreign land. Exodus or Exile? We might prefer the former, but we may be called to endure the latter – and to bloom where we’re planted.

The call to seek the shalom of the city to which we’ve been sent is as timely as ever. May we, disciples of the Prince of Peace, through our prayers and actions, resound with grace notes of love, joy, justice and peace in our communities throughout this new year.

For the children,

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Want to be a part of something positive?

By Children Rising
February 1, 2017

Volunteer with Children Rising. By sharing just a few hours of your time and talent each week, you can help a struggling student reach their potential.

How can one person make a difference?

Personal relationships are the secret to our success. Because of that, one person can always make a difference in the life of a struggling young student.

Together, we will continue to close the achievement gap in under-resourced urban public schools.

Will you consider how you can make a positive impact in the community?

Go to www.children-rising.org/volunteer to learn more about volunteering with Children Rising.

Tutor Training – Want to learn more about tutoring?  Click here for information about our upcoming Tutor Training on Feb. 7.

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La Escuelita at Missions Springs

By Children Rising
February 1, 2017

Near the end of 2016, students from La Escuelita Elementary experienced outdoor education at Mission Springs in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This was La Escuelita’s first time and how it came about was rather providential.

A young eighth-grade teacher from La Escuelita named Ali McKenna reached out to Children Rising president Randy Roth, reminding him that he had baptized her in his former life as a pastor. Ali wanted to find out more about the Mission Springs Outdoor Education (MSOE) because Children Rising facilitates partnerships between various schools and Mission Springs.

Not long after, Stacie Daoust Burch, the director of MSOE, contacted Randy because an anonymous donor had contributed funds to send students to MSOE under the stipulation that this was to be the school’s first trip. Did Randy know any schools who would be open to coming? Randy immediately thought of La Escuelita. Between Randy, Stacie, and La Escuelita’s principal Jeff Franey, it was decided that La Escuelita’s two fifth-grade classes (the usual grade level) would go. Not only that, there was also enough money to cover Ms. McKenna’s eighth-grade class too!

Now that La Escuelita has been introduced to MSOE, we hope that this partnership will continue in future years.

********************************************************************************************************************************************

Check out what La Escuelita students had to say about their experiences in the outdoors!

I’m glad I came to science camp because…

this was my first time away from the city. My favorite activity was night hike because we learned about nocturnal animals and played the bat game.

… I learned some cool new things about nature. My favorite activity was the solo walk because I discovered how peaceful it can be, walking by myself in nature.

… it gave me a new experience away from home. I enjoyed the blind fold walk activity the most because I learned the importance of trusting others and being trustworthy.

Article by Randy Roth, President

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Save the Date: June 3

By Children Rising
February 1, 2017

Our 16th Annual Hope For Children Benefit Gala is set for Saturday, June 3, 2017.

This year, we will once again be holding the gala at the Oakland Scottish Rite Center on Lake Merritt.

Please mark June 3 on your calendars! Stay tuned for details.

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Happy 2017!

By Children Rising
December 26, 2016

May God fill you with his love, joy and peace throughout the New Year!

Children Rising staff from left to right: (front row) Gwen Stephens, Pearl Wang, Randy Roth, Caroline Piraino, Michelle Hutcherson, (back row) Rebecca Buckley, Charlotte Martinez, Margena Wade-Green, Jan Zovickian, Chelsea Boniak, Ashley Verinsky, Kim Flom. Not pictured: Deborah Davis.

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Literacy Tutor Training

By Children Rising
December 26, 2016

Tuesday, January 10, 2017
3:00 – 5:30 pm

Training materials and yummy snacks will be provided. All trainings held at our office:
2633 Telegraph Ave, #412
Oakland, CA 94612.

Sign up with Rebecca at rebecca@children-rising.org

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Project Peace: Day of Service

By Children Rising
December 26, 2016

Over the past nine years, Project Peace has been a catalyst for change at local schools, homeless shelters, mentoring programs, and other social service providers. They began in 2007 partnering with one church and engaging 100 volunteers to serve 300 hours. Last year Project Peace partnered with 20 churches, engaged over 1,300 volunteers, and served over 4,000 hours at social service providers and schools across the East Bay, several of which are also served by Children Rising.

Project Peace does an outstanding job of organizing Days of Service that take place on Saturdays, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon every three months. They prepare by going to the service site in advance to determine priority needs, and then congregations and individual volunteers are assigned to a particular site knowing what tasks will be addressed. For example at the last Day of Service, Garfield Elementary volunteers focused their attention on “leveling” books, which means sorting and labeling according to reading grade level. This time consuming work is immensely helpful to teachers, enabling them to quickly choose books that correspond to a given student’s level of reading proficiency.
What is unique about the Day of Service is that it gives people who are busy on weekdays an opportunity to give back on a half-day Saturday. Once a Project Peace volunteer gets acquainted with a school site, they may be able and willing to serve on a week day while school is in session. For example, the Garfield Elementary Day of Service was the catalyst for the launching of an Excel Reading Clinic staffed by volunteers who come weekly to tutor second- and third-graders.
Next Project Peace Day of Service is Saturday, Feb. 25.

For volunteer sign-up information, go to: www.projectpeaceeastbay.org.

May God bless your new year!

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President’s Corner: Prayer for Christmas Presence

By Children Rising
December 9, 2016

O God of peace and love, Companion in solitude, Protector in exile –
Show us the way to stand against injustice, to protect and nurture life.
Help us to embrace simplicity, to care tenderly for others.
Teach us to conserve and preserve the natural gifts of this world.
Help us to take time to be present to one another.
Increase among us the spirit of tolerance and good will.
Bring us to the quiet still place of healing and transform our souls
into a reflection of your love and compassion. Amen.

President’s Corner: Counting Your Blessings

By Children Rising
December 9, 2016

While it’s true that there is a great deal of suffering, injustice and conflict in our world — faraway and close to home — we still have so much to be grateful for. As we gathered with family and friends on Thanksgiving, we paused before feasting to count our blessings. Children Rising is profoundly grateful for…

• Good Samaritans, you who volunteer time and talents to give hope to vulnerable children and help them reach their full potential, while at the same time creating a positive working environment for school personnel;

• Collaborative Partners, the pillars of our network, for your sustained commitment to invest in the next generation and pool resources for the common good;

• Generous Givers who provide financial support during the year. It is through your generosity that Children Rising is empowered to carry out our mission.

Our staff team joins me in wishing you and your family a joyous Christmas filled with peace, hope and love. May God grant us grace to be attentive to the persons he puts in our pathway, to rejoice when a child’s life is touched and transformed, to embrace the mystery of the mustard seed – transforming entire communities, one life at a time.

With gratitude,

Book Review: Literally Unbelievable by Bronwyn Harris

By Children Rising
December 9, 2016

Literally Unbelievable: Stories from an East Oakland Classroom, written by former teacher Bronwyn Harris, throws a laser-sharp spotlight on Oakland’s public education crisis. Harris’ visceral, passionate expose is based on her firsthand experience as a teacher in Oakland. Literally Unbelievable is not about cursing the darkness, but about lighting more candles of hope to shine upon our most vulnerable children. The book concludes with a list of local nonprofits (including Children Rising) that provide entry points for positive community investment in our public schools, students and their families.

For more info, visit bronwynharrisauthor.com.

Review by Randy Roth, President

Inspiring Children to Make Healthier Choices

By Children Rising
December 9, 2016

On entering the Lafayette Elementary auditorium on this particular day, you would have walked in on a spellbound audience of third- thru fifth-graders. The focus of their attention was a diverse cast of four actors performing in a health-related presentation called “The Best Me”. In the skit, each of the four “elementary school students” struggles with a different health or lifestyle issue. With each other’s help, the comedic foursome overcome their individual challenges.

By engaging their young audience in an interactive and musical experience, the actors communicate these four core messages:

• Play hard for at least 60 minutes a day
• Limit screen time, no more than 60 minutes a day
• Eat at least five fruits and vegetables a day
• Drink water when thirsty, instead of soda or juice

Photos are the property of Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program and used with permission.

Teachers receive “The Best Me” Teaching Guide and lead follow-up activities with their students in class. The program concludes with a Family Night event where the entire family is invited to learn how to make healthier eating and lifestyle choices.

“The Best Me” is one of six health-related presentations offered to public schools without charge by Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program (ETP). Over the past five years Children Rising has partnered with ETP by recommending Oakland schools that would benefit from their performances.

Article by Randy Roth, President

President’s Corner: The Literacy Crisis

By Children Rising
November 10, 2016

Early childhood literacy is a national issue that will directly impact the future vitality and economic well-being of our communities and our country as a whole. Fourth graders shown to be reading “below basic” are four times more likely to drop out of high school – hindering their chances to live a healthy, productive life. According to US Department of Education, 60 percent of America’s prison inmates are illiterate and 85 percent of all juvenile offenders have reading deficiencies.

Closer to home, some 60 percent of second graders in the Oakland Unified School District read below grade level. If struggling students do not receive effective interventions early, they are less likely to become proficient by the fourth grade. Children Rising’s Succeeding by Reading (SbR) initiative makes possible what our dedicated teachers wish they could do but can’t: provide one-on-one literacy tutoring, which combines a caring relationship with personalized strategies that produce evidence-based results. Sixty-five percent of the students enrolled in Excel Reading Clinics advance by two or more grade levels by the end of the school year. Having learned to read they can now read to learn. Reading proficiently with understanding is the goal – resulting in kids becoming lifelong learners and productive citizens.

Here’s how you can help:

• Join our growing team of Excel Reading Clinic tutors. Your personal investment of one to two hours almost any day of the week can literally change the trajectory of a child’s life. And the life that’s changed may also be your own! Children Rising is an Oakland education nonprofit that provides the training and ongoing support for you to be a successful literacy tutor. Contact Rebecca Buckley at Rebecca@children-rising.org or call Pearl Wang at (510) 836-5100 to become a reading volunteer.

• Support our Second Matching Fund Campaign. We must have the necessary funds to employ a professional staff so that our volunteer tutors have the ongoing training and support they need to be effective and efficient. Additional funds are required to purchase an array of leveled books, literacy materials and student workbooks, and that’s in addition to volunteer screening expenses. Every dollar received this month will be matched by generous donors who have pledged $60,000 to our Matching Challenge Fund. The challenge is to raise the additional $60,000 by November 30 to reach our Matching Fund goal of $120,000. Please visit https://children-rising.com/donate/ to make a donation.

• And please take advantage of your company’s employee matching gifts program. Visit our company match page to find out if your company participates: https://children-rising.com/donate/#company-match

Your partnership is essential to Children Rising’s mission of preparing today’s youth for fulfilling, productive living in the 21st century. Every investment will be a gift that keeps on giving – yielding returns for generations to come.

 Article written by Randy Roth, Children Rising president

Change A Child’s Life (and Your Own)

By Children Rising
November 2, 2016

After teaching students for over 30 years, Vivian received a most unexpected gift.

“A dear friend and I were walking our favorite trail in Lafayette, out in the fresh air and experiencing God’s nature,” she explains. “Kim had been tutoring students, and asked me to join her. She just knew how much being with children and working with children fed my soul, and urged me to join her.”

That first encounter with Kim was just a little seed.

“It was a simple invitation, but it had big meaning for me.” Vivian accepted the invitation to be a reading tutor, and began tutoring second and third grade students in the Oakland Unified School District that fall. Her first students were already two years behind in their reading skills, but Children Rising ’s Succeeding by Reading program was so well organized, she was ready to step in and immediately make an impact.

“That first day tutoring really set the stage for my anticipation and encouragement to come back and to be a part of that wonderful organization,” Vivian explained.

Not every week is not easy though…

Some days the kids just aren’t ready to learn. They’ve forgotten their material, or they’ve come to the session out of sorts, or they’re hungry and irritable. “There are days, and weeks, when it’s really hard to have the children focus, and to feel like you’re making some progress with them,” Vivian explains. “It can be difficult, whether you have been a teacher or not.” She is quick to point out the importance of the training that Children Rising provides, and the comradery of her fellow tutors.

“Sometimes it’s really helpful to have a chance to talk to the other tutors, or to the program director. They help overcome some hurdle that you, or the student, can’t quite get beyond. And to know that each week is another step in their lives, and in yours too.”

“It will give you a new purpose and joy in life working with them.”

“To have one-on-one time with a child is a rare privilege,” says Vivian. “They’re little sponges that soak up not just what you’re teaching them but how you’re loving them. It’s a great privilege to have those children that God gives me time with, and their progress by the end of the year is remarkable.”

Tutoring is truly a highlight of her week, and Vivian can’t wait to meet the next child she will tutor in the upcoming school year.

Your gift will help us accomplish our goal…and improve reading proficiency in Oakland Public Schools.

This fall we’ve embarked on our Second Matching Fund Campaign.  We’re seeking to match $60,000 pledged by major donors. The challenge is to raise an additional $60,000 by November 30 to reach our Matching Fund goal of $120,000.

The hundreds of donors and volunteers who support Children Rising are helping underperforming students reach their potential. Your financial gift helps loving tutors like Vivian make a difference in the lives of  at-promise youth.

You can send your check via snail mail (note Challenge Fund on the memo line) to the address below, or you can donate online by going to: http://children-rising.com.

Article by Eric Steckel, Turnpike Digital