2011 Service Project
Book Club Service Project 2011
The Faith Lutheran Church Book Club participated in an outreach program this school year called "Akron Reads" at Portage Path Elementary School in the Highland Square area of West Akron. Akron Reads is a community tutoring partnership between the Akron Public Schools and local businesses, government agencies, nonprofit and civic organizations whereby trained literacy tutors help Akron students in third grade reach new goals in achieving literacy and competence.
Akron Reads is based on former Gov. Bob Taft’s Ohio Reads initiative, one of the key components of the Ohio Department of Education’s Ohio Literacy Initiative. This program is no longer a state funded project. Because of the program's local success, however, the Akron Public Schools district continues to provide funds for this initiative. The tutors are not paid, but volunteer forty-five minutes once a week to work closely with a student.
Akron Reads has become the model for collaborative tutoring partnerships in Ohio. Since its inception, Akron-area businesses, government agencies, nonprofit and civic organizations have committed the time and financial resources needed to help make a significant difference in the reading test scores of students in the Akron Public Schools.
This year, Faith Lutheran Church members participating are Polly Dobkin, Deb Gottas, Karen Mallison, Chris Palmer, Judy Schmidt, Penny Thompson, Steve Thompson, and Bill Woodall. Each of the volunteers attended a onehour training session by Akron Public School staff members in the fall to become part of the program. The students were chosen by teachers and staff at Portage Path Elementary and assigned to one of the volunteers. The reading materials, suggestions for helping the students and time of tutoring sessions (during the child's forty-five minute lunch ) were provided by the trainers. The specific weekday the student met with the tutor was decided by each volunteer. The commitment is small, but the rewards are huge both to the children and the adults participating. Just ask one of them! Any of the volunteers will be glad to share with you the experience and the joy of reading with a child.
As the school year comes to a close, our group is hoping to provide gifts of books to the Portage Path Elementary School library. We have received suggestions of book titles and genres from the Portage Path School Librarian. Each of you has an opportunity to hear more about this and to get involved. Look for a "Mission Moment" on Sunday, May 8 at each Worship Service. We are asking members of Faith to select a book title card from the posters located at Faith, purchase the book and, if you'd like, help us in presenting the books to the school library near the end of this school year. If we are permitted to do so by the school, a book plate with the donor's name will appear in the front of the purchased book. Donations of books are requested by the Sunday before Memorial Day, May 29. Donation boxes will be located at Faith. Any questions or concerns may be directed to Steve Thompson or Karen Mallison.
Thank you.
Books for Kids: YOU Can Help!
