I had the good fortune recently to learn of a great program that, among other things, connects older adults with younger students who have educational and other needs. It’s been in existence for a while, so maybe it’s only been me that wasn’t as aware of it as I should have been.
Sometimes I get caught up in encouraging support for – and ways to help in- public school programs themselves, and I almost forget that there are magnificent outside-the-school-walls community education programs that synergistically help promote educational growth and services as well. So let me plug a couple of those in the Springfield (MO) area today.
These two programs here are very similar in that they work with schools, parents, volunteers, businesses, and the community to partner in and encourage educational endeavors. They are quite different in the students and areas they serve and the opportunities they provide to get involved and help make a difference.
RSVP: Retired & Senior Volunteer Program
Sponsored by the Council of Churches of the Ozarks, this program engages adults 55 and older in meaningful community volunteer work that creates a sense of belonging for each volunteer. Among the available options are the Reading Buddies and the Pre-K Pals, which work as partners in local schools (Greene, Christian, and Webster counties).
The Reading Buddy Program utilizes volunteers to serve Kindergarten through 3rd grade students. Volunteers tutor children to read at grade-level. These mentors are matched with a student and spend at least 30 minutes with that student each week, reading books, doing activities, and mentoring. But they are also building rapport and a relationship that is meaningful for both the student and the volunteer. The student/volunteer pairing often creates close bonds for both.
(I also heard a rumor that there might be a new Math Buddy program in the works, though that is not official. Wouldn’t that be fun?)
During a school year, Pre-K Pals spend a couple hours a week meeting with two or three Pre-K students at a time to teach and practice social and emotional skills through reading-related activities. These skills (cooperation, self-control, engagement in learning, etc) are vital for kindergarten readiness.
Volunteers do not need to have experience in education to volunteer with RSVP. RSVP provides in-depth training for all volunteers during the summer before they are assigned to a school, with other training options during the year.
These programs are beginning to gear up again for the 21-22 school year (assuming no pandemic interference), and RSVP is seeking to rebuild their volunteer base. If you have questions, you can visit the RSVP website (http://ccozarks.org/rsvp/) or call Ronda Shehorn at 831-9696, option 1.
In addition, it turns out you can also see more about RSVP and others in the News-Leader’s recent Sunday (3/14, page 1C) feature on Literacy Programs.
So many incredibly rich and exciting opportunities in education and interpersonal relationships at work here!! Go adopt a(nother) grandchild!
O-STEAM: The Ozarks SySTEAMic Initiative
Working with students of all K-12 grade levels, this highly active program promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics throughout the entire Ozarks Region. Visit their website at www.osteam.org to get a glimpse of the prodigious variety of activities and opportunities for students. These folks do really good work in the important STEM/STEAM fields of education.
One unique opportunity to help here exists in the area of business (and individual) sponsorships. Here’s a chance for your business to donate to a really good educational cause and get recognized as well. Personal donations are also welcome. And their website has a couple of other nice giving options as well.
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