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DEAN COLLEGE
America Reads Contact: Emily Pfeiffer, Massachusetts Campus Comact VISTA
99 Main Street
Franklin, MA
E-mail: epfeiffe@dean.edu
Telephone: (508) 541-1943
Fax: (508) 541-1549
Participation: Dean College is a private two-year school located in Franklin, Massachusetts. Dean College has taken on the America Reads Challenge in the form of a scholarship opportunity called the Community Service Scholars Program. Sixty Dean College first-year students serve as reading partners to children in the Franklin Public School system, Franklin Human Services Department, Forge Family YMCA, Franklin Public Library, and the Franklin Children's School. The program is sponsored by an After-School Grant from the Massachusetts Campus Compact and the Massachusetts Service Alliance. Additional funding was provided by Putnum Investments.
Tutoring: Sixty Dean College students serve as reading partners for pre-school and elementary school age children. Community Service Scholars work with 4 schools in the Franklin school district. Training is ongoing for tutors through monthly training sessions and bi-weekly reflection groups.
Resources: The Community Service Scholars Program has put together a training handbook. The Massachusetts Campus Compact AmeriCorps VISTA coordinates the America Reads Program.
Research: We use program evaluation forms for the reading partners and the community partners. Evaluations can be obtained by contacting the MACC VISTA coordinator.
Relations: We have promoted our efforts through the local media advertising our new programs in newspapers.
JUMPSTART
America Reads Contact: Aaron Lieberman
93 Summer Street
Boston, MA
E-mail: aaron_lieberman@jstart.org
Internet Address:
http://www.jstart.org
Telephone: (617) 542-JUMP
Fax: (617) 542-2557
Participation: Jumpstart is a national non-profit that engages young people in service to their communities to work one-on-one with young children who are struggling in the preschool setting. Jumpstart's mission is towork towards the day that every child in America enters school prepared to succeed. To accomplish this mission, Jumpstart builds School Success, Family Involvement and Future Teachers, one child at a time.
Jumpstart currently operates in Boston, New Haven, New York City and Washington DC. In all four cities more than 240 college students serve as part-time AmeriCorps members, making a 20-month commitment to serve young children and their families.
Tutoring: Jumpstart currently has over 240 college students serving as AmeriCorps members. Each student works directly with a young child twice a week. Jumpstart partners with Head Start and other early childhood programs serving low-income communities to reach the children most in need. The Jumpstart session occurs in the program partners' classroom that would ordinarily be shut down at the end of the school day. The model is cost-effective and convenient for young children and their families.
Resources: The Future Teachers component of Jumpstart is designed to provide on-going trainings to support and develop Corps Members knowledge of Early Childhood Education. After each Jumpstart session there is a Future Teachers Meeting. This is the time that Corps Members reflect on the day and receive training to further enhance their abilities in the classroom. Many of our materials are available on our web site.
Research: Jumpstart assesses and evaluates its progress and program several times throughout the year. These assessments and evaluations drive what and how we improve and refine our program. Program Partners, teachers, Corps Members and families fill-out evaluation forms. Jumpstart has a formal colaboration with the Bush Center for Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University. Jumpstart's quantitative tools used in conjunction with Bush Center are the Bracken Basic Concept Scale and the Teacher-Child Referal System. All of these different tools help to inform the program so that it can be as successful as possible.
Relations: Jumpstart has been featured in Who Cares Magazine, the Boston Globe, Swing Magazine, Education Week, and countless local newspapers and TV stations. In addition, Jumpstart produced an 8 minute promotional, and holds several annual events including Jumpstart KidsFest, April 25. This spring Jumpstart will open four new programs sites and launch a national public relations campaign highlighting national expansion and local programs.
MAGIC ME/BOSTON
America Reads Contact: David Crowley
21 Temple Place
Boston, MA
E-mail: magicme@ma.ultranet.com
Telephone: (617)423-6633
Fax: (617)422-0626
Participation: MAGIC ME/Boston (MMB) strengthens communities by uniting urban youth and elders. MMB's Leaps in Literacy program is one of nine Seniors for Schools sites in the country demonstrating the potential of senior citizens to help achieve the goals of the America Reads Challenge.
Tutoring: Through Leaps in Literacy, 80 Brockton (MA) students receive 30 minutes of one-on-one "Reading Coaching" 4 days per week. Over 40 volunteers are involved. The numbers are growing significantly, including a new site in Boston. Leaps in Literacy uses the highly effective Reading Coach model developed by Mike Houston of KY Reads. Information on the model and related training can be obtained by contacting him at (502) 586-2804.
Research: Leaps in Literacy tracks progress with the Basic Reading Inventory developed by Dr. Jerry Johns of Northern Illinois University. After 3 months, participating students had already increased their scores by an average of 1.25 reading levels.
Relations: Leaps in Literacy has received extensive local media coverage. We are an active participant in the "City that Reads Succeeds" campaigned launched by Brockton Mayor Yunits.
Resources: The program's success is possible through strong partnerships with the Old Colony YMCA City Pride program (AmeriCorps), Mayflower RSVP, and the Raymond, Huntington, and Taylor Elementary Schools.
MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH CAREERS
America Reads Contact:Dr. Mona Dorsinville-Phanor
1166 River St. Hyde Park, MA 02136
E-mail: IMPAC1666@netzero.com
Telephone: (617) 361-1374
Fax: 1-888-339-6662
Particiption: Paraprofessional Organization. Serves the immigrant population. One office in Hyde Park and satellite programs off and on. We are trying to Partner with several organizations and universities.
Tutoring: We just started and have a few volunteers. Children from k-12 is the population served. We need more tutors now.
Resources: International training and resources in different languages, tapes, videos, books, etc... Safe havens are definitely provided.
Research: We do have materials that are available to others and we can also give referrals where we obtain our own materials.
Relations: No promotion in the national or local media yet. Currently working to build literary coalitions and network.
Other Comments: Programs aims at helping children read not only in the English language, but also in Spanish, French, Haitian Creole and some other languages.
STACY MIDDLE SCHOOL
America Reads Contact: Brenda J. Keefe
6 Homepark Ave
Hopedale, MA
E-mail:bkeefe@kersur.net
Telephone: (508) 478-5425
Fax: (508) 478-1271
Particiption: As a Title One Reading tutor, I feel the information you could share with me would be beneficial to my students. I work in a Middle School, grades five through seven.
Tutoring: There are only three title one people in a middle school of more than 900 students.
Resources: There are other resources such as special education inclusion teachers and aides.
WHEATON COLLEGE
America Reads Contact: Claudette Newport, Student Financial Services
East Main Street
Norton, MA
E-mail:cnewport@wheatonma.edu
Telephone: (508) 286-3862
Fax: (508) 286-8276
Comments: Wheaton College's America Reads Program is dedicated to forging mutually beneficial relationships with community organizations committed to literacy education as a means of enriching the personal lives of young children and the quality of life for our community as a whole.
Participation: Twenty-two Wheaton College FWS students currently serve as reading partners to pre-school and school age (K-3) children in the towns of Norton and Attleboro. Students work at 9 agencies and schools including 6 public schools in Attleboro, Project Connect: Family Network, and the Norton and Attleboro Public Libraries.
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