Schools of Hope

It’s time for Back to School 

BECOME A TUTOR AND CHANGE A LIFE

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” This popular quote written many years ago by Dr. Seuss holds as true today as the day it was written.  Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success and reading is a core building block. Yet in Mendocino County, less than 25% of 3^rd graders are reading at grade level. Those students who continue to struggle with reading into adulthood are likely to have trouble finding and keeping a job with a livable wage and health benefits.

In an effort to help improve student reading scores, United Way of the Wine Country is continuing to partner with NCO Volunteer Network and local schools to offer a Schools of Hope program, beginning in October at Calpella, Yokayo and Frank Zeek Elementary Schools. Schools of Hope is an early intervention strategy for children (K-3) who struggle with reading. This model is based off of best practices from Dane County, Wisconsin, where in 10 years it virtually eliminated the achievement gap. 

The success of this exciting program depends upon volunteers willing to work one on one with students for 30 minutes a week. Those who wish to tutor more than one student may do so provided they are able to commit an additional 30 minutes of volunteer time per student. Training and materials will be provided so tutors can feel confident.  Rebecca Enberg, NCO Program Director, says “Studies show that people who give back to their communities are healthier and live longer.“

Is it successful? Yes! An evaluation of Schools of Hope by Sonoma State University in 2014 found that first and second grade students who received tutoring showed reading proficiency growth between 28% and 50% higher than non-Schools of Hope students who started with similar scores.

Teachers, students, and volunteers alike support Schools of Hope! 83% of our tutors surveyed reported that they would return to tutor again the following school year. 93% of classroom teachers expressed they were satisfied or very satisfied with the program.

An information and orientation session will be held at North Coast Opportunities (NCO) on Monday, August 15^th at 6:00 pm and on Wednesday, August 17^th at 10:00 am. Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or hearing more about the program should plan to attend.  NCO is located at 413 N. State Street in Ukiah. 

For more information or to RSVP for the orientation/information session, please call the NCO Volunteer Network at 462-1959 or email Program Assistant, Kayla Harrison at kharrison@ncoinc.org.   Become a tutor and change a life.

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Joan Reynolds has recently joined the NCO Volunteer Network as the Volunteer Network Coordinator. Joan was the Healthy Start Director at Lake County Office of Education for about 20 years, focusing on services for low income student services and family engagement. NCO Volunteer Network is expanding school based programs in Lake and Mendocino counties, which is a good fit for Joan’s background and experience.