As I was interviewing Madison, a fourth grader from Clifford School, her grandma Marilyn, smiling widely comes to take her home. Madison and her grandma come to the library almost every day, every other week. Grandma Marilyn has been bringing her granddaughter to the library ever since she was a baby. They both like to read and over the years have formed a friendship with Jackie and Christine, both librarians in the Kids section. Just last month, Madison learned about Project READ from one of the librarians, so she could receive help doing her homework. Marilyn confessed that “she doesn’t know math [homework]” so she was thrilled about Madison getting help.
Madison mainly works with Katherine, her teen tutor. She says, “Katherine is awesome! She helps me think about words and how to spell them.” Madison not only receives help with her homework, but she also gets to play games and have fun. “Katherine knows how to play “Connect 4!” When Katherine is not available, Madison works with other volunteer tutors, whom she thinks are “nice and helpful.”
Katherine is a junior at Sequoia High school and became interested with Project READ after attending a presentation about the program at school. Brigid Walsh, Youth KIP (Kids in Partnership) student/tutor coordinator and Monique Rodriguez, KIP/FLIC (Family Literacy Instructional Center) program assistant addressed the student body along with the help of AmeriCorps volunteers. After her interview, Katherine became a teen tutor in the FLIC and KIP programs. She satisfies her community service hours by doing something she loves which is working with kids, a win-win situation! Her cousin Gaby is a KIP tutor too. I asked Katherine what she liked most about Project READ and she simply replied, “Everything!”
Loretta Farris is a Project READ volunteer tutor and writes monthly Project READ blogs about our learners, families, volunteers and events . She has been awarded the "Spirit of Project READ Award" along with her learner Evelyn for their commitment to Project READ.
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