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[OKLAHOMA] Samples of America Reads Challenge Federal Work-Study Programs and National Service Initiatives
BLUFFTON COLLEGE
President: Dr. Lee Snyder
America Reads Contact: Debra E. Niswander
Address: 280 W. College Ave.
Bluffton, OH 45817
Email: niswanderd@bluffton.edu
Telephone: 419-358-3243
Fax: 419-358-3232
Number of Students: 10
Number of Districts: 2
The America Reads Program at Bluffton College has been very successful this year. We had a great response from students applying to participate in the program. A professor from our education department coordinates the scheduling and assignments, since she also supervises the student teachers in the school systems. This has worked out well, however, we do not limit participates to education majors. We started out with tutors in one local elementary school, and this spring expanded that to include an elementary school in a neighboring community. This school is an inner-city school where national test scores have been really low. The principal was very excited about having the extra help.
The evaluations of the program have been very positive from everyone involved. The principals and the teachers have all given the program high marks. Everyone seems to benefit from the experience. One student commented, "There wasn't anything I really disliked. It just made me reevaluate my career decisions - I've decided not to pursue a teaching degree, not because of any bad experiences, but because I've discovered I don't have the patience to deal with kids for a length of time." We expected learning experiences, but maybe nothing of that magnitude!
We look forward to another successful year of America Reads!
CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
President: Agnar Pytte
America Reads Contact: Janice A. Eatman Williams
Ofc of Student Community Service 105 Yost Hall
Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7083
Email: jae@po.cwru.edu
Telephone: (216) 368-6960
Fax: (216) 368-0839
Districts: Cleveland
The America Reads Challenge effort at Case Western Reserve University began Fall Semester '97 with one elementary school. We partnered with the Cleveland office of RSVP (Retired & Senior Volunteer Program). Each tutor in our program was assigned to a specific classroom for the entire academic year. We concentrated on 1st-4th grades Tutors typically devoted 6-10hrs/wk to their classrooms. Training was provided by campus literacy specialists, Cleveland Reads and the East Cleveland Public Library.
We have developed summer opportunities so that our students will be able to continue their work. Sites include selected branches of the Cleveland Public Library, community centers serving homeless children and a day camp. Our program is set to expand to additional schools next term.
CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY
President: Dr. Claire Van Ummersen
America Reads Contact:Kathleen Beal
2344 Euclid Avenue, Room 206
Cleveland, Ohio 44116
Email: k.beal@csuohio.edu
Internet Address:
http://www.csuohio.edu/career/amreads.html
Telephone: (216)687-2233
Fax: (216)687-9313
Number of FWS Students: 50
Number of Districts:7
Approximately 50 Cleveland State University students have been recruited, trained and placed in local area elementary schools and libraries across the Greater Cleveland area. CSU has partnered with Cleveland Reads, a United Way Service program, 7 local school systems and the Cleveland Public Libraries to provide tutor training and opportunities. During the school year, students tutor during the school day in elementary schools. The tutors have been working one-on-one or in small group settings with the guidance and support of the classroom teacher. During the summer, CSU has partnered with the Cleveland Public Library providing one-on-one or small group tutoring with the assistance of the children's librarian. Beginning fall of 1998, we will once again provide during the school day tutoring in the elementary schools and add an after school program in the libraries. A one day training is provided for all tutors with mandatory "on-going" tutor roundtable trainings. Tutors are to complete and return a "bi-weekly activity log" to the America Reads coordinator and are evaluated on site by the America Reads coordinator and the teacher and/or supervisor.
DENISON UNIVERSITY
President: Dale T. Knobel
America Reads Contact: Joseph D. Kennedy
867 Shelbourne Place
Newark State, OH 43055-7256
Email: jkennedy@cgate.net
Telephone: 740-366-7509
Fax: 740-366-7509
Number of Students: 50
Number of Districts: 3
Denison now has FWS student tutors in four schools and a public housing project. Three schools host in-school programs, one school and the housing project have after school tutoring. Two schools and the project are in Newark, the other two schools in rural districts.
Denison-America Reads is in its third year but has had trouble reaching its potential due to losing coordinators. Two Americorps volunteers have started but left in a short time leaving the program floundering. This semester we have gone from 2 tutors to 50.
KENT STATE UNIVERSITY
President: Dr. Carol Cartwright
America Reads Contact: Victoria Hellman
Address: Kent State University, Office of Campus Life
Kent, Ohio 44242
Email: vhellman@kent.edu
Telephone: (330) 672-2480
Fax: (330) 672-2052
Number of Students: 40
Number of Districts: 2
Our program currently takes place in two elementary schools in Kent. We also work at two after school centers in Ravenna, and an after school library program in Kent. We currently have a VISTA working with our program as well as an Americorps Reads Advisory Board, consisting of faculty, teachers, students, tutors, principals, agency representatives, and university staff members. Our program has grown considerably since it was first started and continues to reach more students.
LAKELAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dr. Ralph Doty
America Reads Contact: Nancy White
7700 Clocktower Drive
Kirtland, OH
Email: nwhite@lakeland.cc.oh.us
Telephone: (440) 975-4754
Fax: (440) 953-7269
Number of Students: 12
Number of Districts: 1
Our pilot program began April, 1998. Twelve tutors work with 24 children from a local school district in grades first through third during appointment slots held two days per week right after school or in the early evening. The tutors work one-on-one with the children in reading enrichment activities designed to enhance enjoyment and application of reading.
The program is housed in our Learning Support Center, where the children are transported either by school bus or their parents. During the Summer, we will continue the program with scheduling adjustments. Next year, we plan to expand to on-site locations to offer tutoring to other school districts.
OBERLIN COLLEGE
President Nancy Dye
America Reads Contact: Caitlin Scott
Center for Service and learning, Oberlin College
68 S. Professor St.
Oberlin, OH
Email: caitlin.scott@oberlin.edu
Telephone: (440) 775-8055
Fax: (440) 775-8754
Number of Students: 26
Districts: Oberlin Public Schools
Our twenty-six tutors work in one of two settings: an in-school tutoring program at Eastwood Elementary which serves students in grades K-2, or an after-school tutoring program at Prospect Elementary which serves students in grade 3. The after-school program is run through a partnership between Oberlin Community Services and Oberlin College. Teachers in grades K-3 identify students in need of tutoring. These teachers also help the College America Reads Coordinator hire tutors, train the tutors, and guide the tutor's reflection sessions.
The response to this first year of our program has been very positive. We have many more College students who would like to be tutors and many more public school children who need tutoring. We will be expanding our program in the fall of 1999.
OHIO UNIVERSITY
President: Dr. Robert Glidden
America Reads Contact: Dr. Terry Hogan
204 Baker Center
Athens, Ohio, 45701
Email: hogan@ohiou.edu
Telephone: 740-593-4028
Fax: 740-593-0047
Number of Students: 32
Number of Districts: 9
Ohio University supports three America Reads initiatives. The College of Education offers a summer tutoring program to parents and children from five school districts. Kids on Campus, a program of the College of Health and Human Services, includes tutoring and mentoring in its summer-long program for 350 youth from five local school districts. An academic-year, after school program is being developed with the support of AmeriCorps*VISTA through Ohio Campus Compact. Ohio AppalCORPS, a program of the Center for Community Service, is an AmeriCorps program (funded by the Governor's Community Service Council) that utilizes AmeriCorps members and work-study tutors to improve reading in schools across Appalachian Ohio. This is a consortial effort of 15 college or university campuses (not all of them utilize work-study tutors). All three initiatives coordinate their efforts.
OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY
President: Dr. William E. Kirwan (President-designate)
America Reads Contact: Colleen Griffiths
200 Ramseyer Hall 29 W. Woodruff Ave
Columbus, OH 43210
Email: griffiths.24@osu.edu
Telephone: (614) 292-6935
Fax: (614) 292-7547
Number of FWS Students: 30
Number of Districts: 1
The School of Teaching and Learning in the OSU College of Education has two AmeriCorps programs that address the America Reads Challenge. One, the America Reads Literacy Corps, uses OSU work-study students ONLY as AmeriCorps members. This program began January 1998. The other program, AmeriCorps for Literacy & Math, utilizes work-study students, community members, and others as AmeriCorps members. AmeriCorps for Literacy & Math is in it's forth year of service and has served as a model for the ALL work-study corps. Both are in-school programs that tutor children in grades K-3 in low-income, inner-city Columbus Public schools.
OWENS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
President: Dan Brown
America Reads Contact: Karen Ashford
PO Box 10,000
Toledo, Ohio
Email: kashford@owenscc.oh.us
Telephone: 419-661-7514
Fax: 419-661-7094
Number of FWS Students: 19
Number of Districts: 3
We work with Headstart children, Y-Care after school centers and a local church's learning program, as well as a juvenile facility. The children love the tutors especially the African Amercian males. The teachers really appreciate having us involved.
THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO
President: Dr. Frank Horton
America Reads Contact: Cheryl Ball or Rose Neuser
2801 West Bancroft
Toledo, OH
Email:
rneuser@utnet.utoledo.edu
Website: http://www.utoledo.edu/
Telephone: Cheryl (419) 530-5531, Rose (419) 530-3097
Fax: Cheryl (419) 530-7757, Rose (419) 530-3135
Number of FWS Students: 25
Districts: Toledo Public
America Reads is a new program at The University of Toledo. We have begun with 25 tutors being placed in 4 of our local elementary schools, covering grades k-6. The interest in the program has been great. Both the schools and our students are truly interested in this program growing even larger next year. (In the beginning of the year we had over 200 students apply.)
We started our program by communicating with our local school district and sitting down with a representative from each of our 4 schools. The University of Toledo together along with The Toledo Public Schools worked out a plan for the installment of the program. The University of Toledo did the recruitment, publicity, hiring and scheduling of the tutors. Training on tutoring was conducted by The Toledo Public Schools. Background checks were performed as well as assessment of reading ability prior to placement in the schools. Schools are at the discretion as to how to best utilize each tutor. An evaluation of our program will be conducted at a later date.
URBANA UNIVERSITY
President: Francis Hazard
America Reads Contact: Lisa Ori Waldrop
Address: 579 College Way
Urbana, OH
Email: blwaldrp@bright.net
Telephone: 937-484-1359
Fax: 937-484-1389
Urbana University is working with the Urbana City Schools to provide reading tutors primarily for the after-school programs that have been already established. Additionally, we are paired with a service organization called "The Caring Kitchen" to provide tutors for underpriveledged elementary students.
YOUNGSTOWN STATE UNIVERSITY
President: Dr. Leslie Cochran
America Reads Contact: Dr. Mary Lou DiPillo
One University Plaza
Youngstown, Ohio
Email: WinnieCat@aol.com
Telephone: 330-742-3252
Number of Students: 10
Number of Districts: 1
Youngstown State University has a start-up program of America Reads. We have ten tutors working in an inner city K-4 building. We are participating in a K-16 Partnership with the school district. Presently, sixty children are reaping the benefits of the undergraduate tutors.
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