The America Reads Challenge (ARC) program, part of AmeriCorps, has the primary goal of ensuring that all children can read proficiently by the end of third grade. In Mississippi, the ARC program is referred to as the America Reads-Mississippi (ARM) program. In 1999, 37 schools in 25 school districts participated in this program, sponsored by 3…

This guide provides parents of children with special needs information on opportunities to develop and apply leadership skills in Colorado. Introductory material considers the nature of parent leadership, the various roles of parent leaders, and ways to learn leadership skills. The next section describes specific parent leadership opportunities at…

Governors and other state policymakers are turning to volunteer reading tutoring programs to improve children's reading ability. The Committee for Economic Development, a nonpartisan organization of business leaders and educators, reports a steady rise in the number of businesses that are volunteering personnel to participate in business-school…

This book provides guidance and practical information for the organization of a volunteer tutoring program. Three sections take supervisors through each step of the program, including: publicizing, obtaining funding, establishing roles of each team member, training volunteers in effective tutoring, and assessing each student's and tutor's…

This report documents the work of Amachi, a mentoring program for children of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Volunteers are recruited from inner-city congregations to provide one-to-one mentoring to the children. Beyond being the source of mentors, the congregations are a key part of the initiative.…

The independent reading program described in this lesson plan gives students time to read what they want to read, share what they have read, and receive the support they need for further reading explorations and reflections. Students will: work in a community of readers and learners, including other class members, family members, their teacher,…

This guidebook has been compiled to help school staff and community volunteers implement one-to-one friendships with students needing special attention. High-need disadvantaged youth, talented and gifted students, and adolescents having a temporarily difficult time in their lives can all benefit from mentoring. The mentor program for which this…

Volunteer rates vary tremendously across states and age groups. In recent years, young people have exhibited rising volunteering rates, particularly high school students and college freshmen. When comparing the volunteer rates for different age groups in 2002 and 2003, 16-18 year olds volunteer at consistently higher rates than their college-age…

The investigation examined the effects of a brief encounter group experience upon residents in a university dormitory. Women living on three separate floors were designated experimental subjects and provided with a group experience designed to encourage personal interaction, while women on two other floors were assigned to a control group. (Author)

A ninth grade student tells of his experiences in teaching first graders. (GB)

Presents a plan that shows how the knowledge, skills and experience of "older" persons can be used as a resource to improve effectively the quality of education (Author/DN)

If a survey questionnaire is designed and worded effectively, volunteers can be used to conduct it. Apple Valley-Rosemount (Minnesota) found that volunteers need not be trained in interviewing techniques, and that the school board and administration can reap a wealth of high quality data and benefits not normally available with conventional, more…

Women extension volunteers in Oregon teaching Defensive Driving classes developed Spanish and Russian materials for non-English speaking residents. (SP)

Reinforcement with tokens and time-out procedures was used to control the disruptive or negative behavior of nine retarded children in a nursery school setting. (Author)

Volunteer business, industry, legal and civic groups have helped Maryland Extension Service home economists open and run a thrift shop which supplies donated goods to program families. Shop also doubles as demonstration facility for nutrition, home management, health and youth-oriented courses. (PD)