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[WYOMING] Samples of America Reads Challenge Federal Work-Study Programs and National Service Initiatives
MADISON AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE
President Dr. Beverly Simone
America Reads Contact: Kelly Kotewa-Veldey
211 N. Carroll St.
Madison, Wisconsin
Email: kkotewa-veld@madison. tec.wi.us Address:
Telephone: 608-259-2943
Fax: 608-258-2464
Number of FWS Students: 10
Number of Districts: 2
MATC's program started in Oct. 1997 and had a goal of placing 20 tutors for the 1st year. So far we have had 23 tutors participate. Our program is being coordinated by a VISTA volunteer. Tutors work in both rural and urban school districts. After-school sessions are held in a nearby community center. We are able to provide tutoring to over 90 children in kindergarten through third grade. Training is developed in cooperation with schools and includes information on reading aloud, strategies for supporting readers, responding to children's writing, book extension ideas, creating a rapport, and behavior management. Follow-up support is ongoing and includes monthly tutor meetings. Publicity coverage has been strong in both local newspapers and television. The college foundation provided America Reads t-shirts for tutors. These shirts act as tools for: identification of tutors, recruitment advertising, and increase awareness of the America Reads Challenge. Partnerships with school districts have been extremely positive. One school provides an entire room for the tutoring program and helped to establish the connection at the community center for the afterschool component. The PTO donated funds for supplies. We are planning two special events this spring. 1 is a family literacy night with a science theme. Children and their parents will attend and go from station to station doing an assortment of literacy activities and receive a book and extension activity sheet to take home. The other special event is an end of the year party/ceremony for tutors and students. We will present certificates to both and a free book for the children who have been tutored.! MATC's plans for expansion next year include adding two sites and branching into family literacy programs. Goals for the program are to improve childrens' reading skills and attitudes. Evaluation tools include language arts assessments, reader attitude surveys, and input from teachers, tutors, and parents.
NORTHLAND COLLEGE
President Robert Rue Parsonage
America Reads Contact: Valerie V. Johnson
1411 Ellis Avenue
Ashland, Wisconsin
Email: vjohnson@wakefield.northland.edu
Telephone: (715) 682-1328
Fax: (715) 682-1308
Number of FWS Students: 3
Districts: Ashland School District
We anticipate serving grades 1-3 at Lake Superior Elementary School in Ashland Wisconsin. As the 1998-99 academic year is the initial year of our program, we will be scheduling the tutoring seessions in the fall of 1998.
ST. NORBERT COLLEGE
President Dr. Thomas Manion
America Reads Contact: Nancy Mathias
100 Grant St.
De Pere, WI
Email: mathnb@sncad.snc.edu
Telephone: 920-403-4023
Fax: 920-403-4092
Number of FWS Students: 14
We have attracted about 50 students to the America Reads program. Less than 20 qualified for Federal Work Study money. The majority of the remaining students volunteer. About half of the tutors work in four local schools, the other half work on campus where they meet the child they tutor in the campus library. Students are paid minimum wage, so for most, this is their second job.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE
President: Chancelor Nancy Zimpher
America Reads Contact: Dr. Deryl Davis-Harrison
School of Education
Office of Advising and Academic Services
P.O. Box 413
Milwaukee, WI 53201
Email: ddh@uwm.edu
Telephone: (414) 229-2232
Fax: (414) 229-4705
Number of Students: 12
Districts: Milwaukee Public Schools
The America Reads program here at UWM has really begun to take off. The program is currently run by a student project coordinator, under the supervision of the School of Education's Office of Advising and Academic Services. There are currently 25 students involved in America Reads. Half of the students are federal Work-Study, while the other half are volunteers. I predict that by the end of this semester we should have at least 40 students involved in the program. A large reason for our recent success is our close association with the Financial Aid Department at our school. We have really made a solid effort to reach out to students who have been awarded Federal Work-Study, but have not yet accessed this money.
We currently have students at six different sites all in the Milwaukee Public School district. The majority of the tutors work at the schools. In order to train our students, we have a mandatory Tutoring Workshop once a semester, as well as providing our students with numerous handouts with tutoring hints and activities. Our school has really shown a lot of support for this program and we look forward to its continual success in the future.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-SUPERIOR
President Dr. Julius Erlenbech
America Reads Contact: Scott Christopherson-Schorn
1800 Grand Ave
Superior, WI
Email: sschorn@staff.uwsuper.edu
Telephone: (715) 394-8111
Fax: (715) 394-8454
Number of Students: 10
Number of Districts: 1
UW-Superior is part of the newly formed Wisconsin Partnerships in Service Learning program. Six schools have come together to develop service learning programs. We have received a grant from the Learn and Serve America service learning grantee. We are looking at making connections with national programs that promote education and partnerships between higher education schools and elementary school districts.
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