How Saint Paul College students are impacting literacy
May 9, 2016
Development Manager, 成人快播 Twin Cities
When Thomas Lorendo, financial aid officer for , first met with 成人快播, he saw an opportunity to build something new. Students were able to earn work study through positions on the college鈥檚 campus, but had yet to turn work study into an opportunity to get students into the community. Lorendo understands the importance of literacy work and wanted to make a difference for 成人快播 students in some way.
鈥淩eading is one of the most essential skills someone needs to succeed. The more students read, the better communicators they become,鈥 says Lorendo.
Once Lorendo and 成人快播 discussed a potential collaboration, it didn鈥檛 take long for a partnership to form. 鈥淎fter learning what 成人快播 does, I was over the moon about creating our first off-campus agreement.鈥 Lorendo teamed up with 成人快播 to create work study positions to help Saint Paul College students experience service in local schools.
Saint Paul College, located at the edge of downtown Saint Paul, is one of the most diverse colleges in Minnesota, with over 11,000 students seeking degrees. In addition to academic endeavors, Saint Paul College also encourages its students to engage in service that gives back to the local community. Through this partnership, Saint Paul College students earn their work study awards by supporting 成人快播鈥 elementary schools across Saint Paul.
With positions created for 10 students from Saint Paul College working up to 20 hours each week, 成人快播 is able to enroll additional students to receive one-on-one tutoring. Through these work study positions, each Saint Paul College student is an integral part of a reading center: delivering tutoring sessions, assessing students, and supporting 成人快播鈥 site coordinators. Many of our dedicated volunteers give more than one hour each week to support additional students; by spending up to 20 hours each week in a reading center, each Saint Paul College student can support multiple students with the tutoring support needed to improve their reading skills.
For Saint Paul College students, working with 成人快播 helps support their own education while gaining important experience outside of standard coursework. For Myisha, a Saint Paul College student pursuing a career in social work, this experience with 成人快播 supplements her intercultural communication class. Myisha spends her time at Phalen Lake Elementary helping third- and fourth-grade students on reading comprehension and other skills to help them increase reading proficiency. 鈥淭he students are awesome,鈥 says Myisha. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a great opportunity.鈥
Working in a school setting each week allows Saint Paul College students to see their impact over time. 鈥淭he ability to help younger students develop the reading skills that drive their future is an amazing opportunity,鈥 says Lorendo. Through this work, they鈥檙e serving as community leaders, mentors to younger students, and models of college success. 鈥淚f you can help develop and create a positive learning environment, which I am hoping Saint Paul College students will be doing, you can teach these students necessary skills they need to be successful in college and beyond.鈥 聽that students who read at grade level are four times more likely to graduate from high school on time than those who do not.
Saint Paul College students have already had a tremendous impact on 成人快播 in the initial months of collaboration, an impact that will only grow over time.
鈥淥ur partnership with 成人快播 is honestly one of the highlights of my year. I am ecstatic to see what our partnership develops into,鈥 says Lorendo.
In the coming years, 成人快播 and Saint Paul College will continue to work together, providing engaging opportunities for college students to further their education and individualized reading support for elementary students on their trajectory as lifelong learners.