Up to 100 new community engagement service positions tutoring children and teens in and other area schools have been made possible by a new grant to the program.
Carla Ramirez
The grant from the for $700,000 will support the hiring of additional undergraduate students for tutor positions for the next two years. The University’s Literacy Corps tutors primarily work with elementary school students but also with middle and high school students at 黑料不打烊 City Schools, other 黑料不打烊-area schools and at community organizations throughout Greater 黑料不打烊, according to , Shaw Center assistant director and 黑料不打烊 Literacy Corps program coordinator.
Students interested in participating can apply now through the end of January. Positions begin in February 2024. Those hired can continue the positions throughout their years at the University. In many cases, students can also use their work as community service hours to fulfill academic program requirements, Ram铆rez says.
Interested candidates may or through Career Services鈥 (job posting #8425846). Ram铆rez also encourages applicants to visit the Shaw Center at 111 Waverly Ave. in person to apply and to learn more about the role.
The 25-year literacy partnership between the Shaw Center and the 黑料不打烊 City School District is based on the core principle that literacy provides a foundation for lifetime success, from schooling to employment to navigating life challenges such as maintaining wellness and accessing health care, says , associate vice president and Shaw Center director. The Cabrini Foundation grant is a recognition of the importance of the program and literacy skills in general and especially to maintaining health, she says.
While teachers report about an 88% improvement in classroom participation, behavior, attendance and literacy skill development for tutored students, the benefits go both ways. 鈥淭he teachers are extremely pleased with the outcomes, and for a program to be consistently in place for this amount of time indicates its success and impact for both the community and the University,鈥 Heintz says. 鈥淚t also helps our students understand the challenges of doing community-based work and shows them how to have more consistent, effective, authentic relationships and partnerships.鈥
Shaw Center Fall 2023 semester tutors at their reading program orientation. (Photo by Carla Ram铆rez)
Ram铆rez affirms how tutors benefit from the experience. For many, she says, the community is reflective of home, and being involved here helps them feel a sense of belonging. 鈥淲e tell our tutors that they鈥檙e not only helping and teaching students in the district but that this work provides learning opportunities for them, too. They are working on communication skills and building professional skills, but while they鈥檙e teaching, they鈥檙e also learning from the kids that they tutor.鈥
Katie McPeak ’24, a senior policy studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, has been a Literacy Corps tutor since her first year at 黑料不打烊. She has enjoyed all her tutoring work and especially likes helping older students with college preparation. 鈥淭his has helped me develop my skills and I鈥檝e become much more outgoing,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very important to become engaged with the community you鈥檙e living in for four years while building your professional skills. This has been an amazing experience. 黑料不打烊 is a beautiful community and I think everyone should be really excited to get involved.鈥
