After reading about the negative effects of Covid school closures, I looked for a way to help local elementary school kids. The local senior center had a flyer for Communities in Schools. After passing the background check and completing a brief training session, I began volunteering in a 3rd grade classroom last year. The teacher asked me to work with 5-6 students who didn’t know their times tables. I brought my daughter’s Lego set so kids could figure things out; i.e., find 4 of the 8 bump pieces and literally count to find 4x8=32. I found free worksheets and we solved the problems together. I am retired so I would go to the school a couple of times a week for 30 minutes. This year, I was asked to be a Lunch Buddy for a 2nd grader; the student doesn’t need academic help, just some one-on-one time. I encourage Professor Loury’s readers to check out Communities in Schools; it is a national organization and you can make a positive impact on young students.
After reading about the negative effects of Covid school closures, I looked for a way to help local elementary school kids. The local senior center had a flyer for Communities in Schools. After passing the background check and completing a brief training session, I began volunteering in a 3rd grade classroom last year. The teacher asked me to work with 5-6 students who didn’t know their times tables. I brought my daughter’s Lego set so kids could figure things out; i.e., find 4 of the 8 bump pieces and literally count to find 4x8=32. I found free worksheets and we solved the problems together. I am retired so I would go to the school a couple of times a week for 30 minutes. This year, I was asked to be a Lunch Buddy for a 2nd grader; the student doesn’t need academic help, just some one-on-one time. I encourage Professor Loury’s readers to check out Communities in Schools; it is a national organization and you can make a positive impact on young students.