Rochester leadership center launches tutoring program
UReading pairs undergraduates with kids in the Rochester school district
mgrecolo@ur.rochester.edu
In response to the closing of the University’s chapter of AmeriCorp’s Jumpstart program, University administrators have created UReading, a tutoring and mentoring program that pairs undergraduate students with preschool and kindergarten-aged children from the Rochester City School District’s School 29 and the Rochester Pre-School Parent Program. UReading, which is housed under the Rochester Center for Community Leadership, was created in collaboration with the Career Center and the Office of the Dean of Students.
“Student demand for the program is strong, as is interest from our community partners,” says Glenn Cerosaletti, director of the Rochester Center for Community Leadership. “We are pleased that UReading will continue to allow students to work one-on-one with children in the city’s school district.”
Patricia Waters ’06, a former Jumpstart participant, will serve as the program’s director. She will design training sessions for the 31 undergraduates enrolled in the program, help city school district administrators create tools to assess the program’s success, and form a curriculum that aligns with what the children are learning in class.
During the tutoring sessions, which take place twice a week, students help the kids identify letters, shapes, and colors, and share childhood books, like class favorite Where the Wild Things Are. In larger groups, they sing songs that match the theme of the session, addressing topics like making friends. The last exercise of the day allows the children to select an activity of their choice, which ranges from musical instruments to blocks and puzzles.
Jennelle Rhodes ’11, a psychology major whose future plans include a career in elementary education, was excited to learn that the University created a new tutoring program.
“The greatest aspect of UReading is that I’m learning the dynamics of a classroom, working directly with teachers to build a curriculum and assess what works and what doesn’t work with each lesson plan,” says Rhodes, who was a two-year Jumpstart participant and served as a team leader last year. In the UReading program, she will again take on a leadership position, guiding her peers in organizing and implementing lesson plans and managing them in the classroom.
Rhodes, like many of the students in the program, depended on Jumpstart as not only a source of income but also as a chance to gain experience in the field of education. Many students in the new program are paid using Federal Work Study funds, while others participate on a volunteer basis.
Waters says the benefits of the program are threefold.“We have seen measurable improvements for the children both in reading and social skills, and our undergraduates gain experience teaching and affecting positive change in the classroom,” she says. “It’s also advantageous for the University to continue to strengthen the connection with our community partners.”
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