Not unexpectedly, given the circumstances of the children's lives, a great many of them are seriously deficient in reading and in reading comprehension. With professional tutors as well as trained volunteers the Building Blocks for Success after-school program has provided comprehensive educational support to children and youth residing in shelters and transitional residences: Alle-Kiski Area Hope Center, Bridge to Independence, Salvation Army Family Caring Center, Sisters Place, Sojourner House MOMS, Womanspace East, Women's Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh.
- Approximately 150 children and youth have participated regularly in HCEF after-school opportunities since 2009.
- Between July 1, 2010, and June 1, 2011, some 100 children participated in after-school programs at least once and 62 children (averaging 30 distinct children per month) were tutored on a recurring basis.
- Students generally have spent an average of 25-30 hours in after-school programming during the period of their residence.
- Some 35 volunteers are serving the after-school programs at any given time. Between July 1, 2010, and June 1, 2011, our trained volunteers provided 3,323 tutoring hours.
A Mylan Charitable Foundation grant in support of the HCEF Learning Centers has made possible the next step for Building Blocks: a Customized Learning Plan (CLP) for each child at five of the HCEF Learning Centers: Bridge to Independence, Salvation Army Family Caring Center, Sojourner House MOMS, Womanspace East, and Women's Center & Shelter.
Upon entering an HCEF after-school program, children will be assessed by an Afterschool Instructor to determine a child's interests, aptitudes, and needs with regard to literacy. The Afterschool Instructor will then complete a one-page CLP for each child.
Note that each child's file is kept by agency education staff and is accessible only to the agency staff, a child's parent, and AfterSchool instructors.
Volunteer tutors will use a child's CLP to gain a sense of that particular child's strengths and weaknesses. Each plan will include goals and recommended activities to make the most of a child's tutoring sessions. Helping a student work toward achieving her or his individual goals and needs could mean spending extra time playing a phonics game or reading rhyming poetry aloud to a child who is more challenged in those areas. The only rule is: keep it brief and keep it fun!
In July 2011 HCEF established a partnership with Therapy Dogs International: a great way to "keep it brief and keep it fun."
The Pittsburgh Chapter of TDI offers a "Tail Wagging Tutors" program that encourages beginning and reluctant readers to gain confidence and fluency as they read aloud to "their" dogs. Two of our partner housing agencies were chosen to serve as pilot sites.
The participating children receive certificates of achievement and dog safety activity books.
A professional literacy trainer is providing the volunteer tutors with a library of recommended activities appropriate to a child's specific needs as well as professional development seminars for them and for agency staff.
HCEF — with the help of the Regional Coordinator, Homeless Children's Initiative, Allegheny Intermediate Unit — has created and provided a literacy "toolbox" for each after-school program site. To date the toolbox includes Apples to Apples Jr., Sentence Words, an inflatable letter ball, a reader's theater, the 24 game, flash cards (a gift from the University of Pittsburgh's CASE Undergraduate Program), magnetic poetry, blank laminated game boards, a Dr. Seuss Twister-style game using letters, and numerous games created by the literacy trainer. As new "tools" are discovered and tested (by the kids, of course), they will be added to the toolbox.
In addition HCEF has worked with the Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA) Book Mobile to provide bi-weekly service to three agency sites where the vehicle can be accommodated.
How might you help?
HCEF volunteer tutors are always being sought and as the Afterschool program expands to other family housing agencies, more will be required. To learn about becoming a tutor, please contact Susy Robison, Volunteer Services Manager.
Major funding in support of Building Blocks in 2011 has come from Audrey Hillman Fisher Foundation, BNY Mellon Charitable Foundation, Dollar Bank, and Mylan Charitable Foundation. Previous support has been provided by the Ayers Foundation, Calvary Episcopal Church, the Snee-Reinhardt Charitable Foundation, and Walmart.
(12/16/11)
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