Friday, April 30, 2010
An Urban Garden Grows More than Vegetables
“Are there worms in there?”
“Ewwww…did you put them in there?”
“What do I do if I find one?”
“What sort of tools are we using?”
“We have to use our hands?! But what if I touch a worm?!”
The students and I stood around our newly constructed garden beds preparing to begin planting. Up to this point the group, consisting of three fourth-grade girls and one fifth-grade boy, only expressed excitement about beginning their urban garden. The garden is part of our lunchtime mentoring program at the Marshall Elementary School in which fourth and fifth grade students have the opportunity to work on long-term projects that incorporate reading and writing. For the last several weeks, they had been reading seed packets and writing supply lists in preparation for our planting. The preparation also involved our AmeriCorps State team braving through a very rainy day of building the beds, shoveling compost and carrying heavy crates of soil.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Say It, Use It, Spell It Bee!
On April 14th and 15th the first Say it, Use it, Spell it-Bee occurred at the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club. Twenty students participated in the event, showing off their vocabulary skills. Our amazing Reading Coaches handpicked grade-appropriate words for their students in a competition that placed equal value on spelling and the use of words in sentences. This Bee, inspired by a literacy tool developed by AmeriCorps State Lead, Kim Bohling, and Reading Coach, Esther Williams, proved to be an exciting event for both students and reading coaches. The two days resulted in two winners, LaDawn Spencer and Janae Vellere. Everyone in the Bee went home with an award to show students that win or lose, if you try you can succeed. The Say it, Use it, Spell it-Bee is an event that Site Team Leader Ruth Villard hopes to continue at the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Training for the Ages
For all of us State Members, team meetings come around once a month like clockwork. Things that are discussed during these meetings are upcoming events (school and/or Generations Incorporated (GI) events), ways to improve our reading coach model, ideas for activities, operation changes, and a few funny/good living stories. Usually, these meetings are lead by our various Site Team Leaders and State Members – a recent meeting let one of our Experience Corps Members (ECM) really steal the show (in the best sense of the phrase possible).
At the last John Marshall meeting, a State Member led a training covering how to engage two students simultaneously during a reading coach session. The training itself was necessary and a great success, but the true gem of the afternoon was the sequel to the training led by an ECM entitled: Reading With 3+. The session was led by Betty Reed. She serves in a 2nd grade classroom, a 5th grade classroom, and also serves as a reading coach. Before she started volunteering for GI she was a nurse and a minister in the Salvation Army. A quick side note on Ms. Reed:
Betty Reed took what she had learned while working with the teachers and kids in a classroom setting and brought them to the other ECMs at the John Marshall. She had two coordinators: one training *VISTA, and one Cluster Supervisor pretend to be students and she showcased what she had learned to all eighteen volunteers present at the meeting in such a way where they could participate in the comical yet informative showcase/skit. Read more…
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Reach of our Program: Family Engagement in Revere
Early this spring, our Experience Corps Members (ECM) at the James A. Garfield School in Revere happily carried the student folders and bookfolders from the Generations Incorporated room in the loft of the library into the main lobby of the school for the family engagement event later that day. As students and their families went rushing by to make their parent/teacher conferences on time, the Generations sign caught their eyes. In a coordinated effort with the school to schedule our event at the same time as the parent/teacher conferences, our volunteers were able to meet nearly half of their students’ family members.
One family approached our table saying that their third grade daughter insisted that they meet her volunteer. As I listened to this family retell the enthusiasm their daughter had for our program and her persistence that they meet her reading coach, I not only saw, but felt the reach of our program. It was clear that the volunteer had made an impact in this girl’s life and she was eager to share that with her parents.
As the volunteers watched families go through the lobby, their faces lit up with the possibility of meeting their students’ families. In the end, our ECMs were pleased to meet many of their students’ families. This event was a success not only because of the number of people who attended, but also because by meeting family members the strong, mentoring relationships between our ECMs and students grew even stronger.
by Lisa Tankanow, AmeriCorps State Member
Friday, April 9, 2010
Why I Serve
As I’ve been nearing the end of my 2nd year of AmeriCorps service, I’ve been reflecting quite a lot about why I came to Generations Incorporated. Many people know that I came here from a non-profit job after deciding I wanted the opportunity to do more direct, hands-on work than my current job allowed. Few people know that I had a very personal reason for serving, as well. I knew I wanted to do service focused around literacy, as my passion for reading is one I hold near and dear. What drew me to Generations Incorporated in particular though, is that they encouraged a love for reading in the same way my own had been cultivated.
When I was in kindergarten, I only attended school for half of the day in the morning. I was fortunate enough to have my grandma living just a block from my home, so she was able to care for me in the afternoons. We had a very regular routine when I stepped off of the school bus. We would eat lunch together while I told her about my day. Then she’d move to her well-worn rocking recliner and I’d happily rummage through the desk drawer filled with my books. I’d select one or two and contentedly settle into her lap. If I picked Go, Dog, Go, I’d stumble along through the story on my own with occasional gentle guidance. If Bob the Dinosaur was the chosen story, she’d read this harder book aloud to me. It was my favorite time of the day. You would never have guessed by my grandma’s attitude or excitement that we had read these same books countless times. When I read to her, I was quite certain that I was the most gifted reader to ever recite the words of P.D. Eastman. It was easy to believe in myself because she acted like everything I did was so darn extraordinary. Yet, I also knew that I could make a mistake because she’d still think I was exceptional and brave for trying. Read more…
Friday, April 9, 2010
A Treasure in Our Pirate-themed Literacy Room
Students like 6 year-old, Maryam keep me on my toes at the Yawkey Boys and Girls Club. Maryam approached me about a month ago when I was on my usual walk through the club collecting familiar students. She stood out with her tiny stature, uniform, and lack of verbal communication. Maryam grabbed my hand and walked with me into the room where reading takes place. As I sat down with her to read her a story, she immediately opened up. The next day her mother had returned a signed permission slip and she began bonding with my volunteers instantly. Her expression through art, color, crafts, and now reading are being fostered through our program. For the past month, she has walked into our room every day wanting to learn. Children like Maryam, along with all the children that I see so much potential for academic growth, are the reason why I hope to become a teacher after my year of service is complete. Maryam has also been an inspiration for her two volunteers who light up now when she comes to the club. With her charming sense of humor and knack for creating beautiful and loving cards for everyone who interacts with her, Maryam truly is a treasure in our pirate-themed literacy room.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Photo of the Week: April 8, 2010
Reading is fun, it can also be downright silly sometimes!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Boston Globe: “Tutoring found to help mentors, too”
The Boston Globe recently ran an article applauding the accolades of Experience Corps, click here to read it. We’re proud to host Greater Boston’s Experience Corps program and successfully engage 300 adults 55+ in volunteer opportunities that promote aging healthfully.
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