Introduction:
Schools have long valued volunteers' helping hands, and teachers have especially welcomed the calm and reliable presence of senior volunteers in their classrooms. Volunteers in the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) have been involved in Head Start programs, classrooms, and other settings since 1965 and 1971, respectively. In the last several years, national service and America Reads in particular have helped expand the role of seniors in elementary classrooms, enhance the educational experience of thousands of children, and engage seniors in some of the most meaningful work of their lives.
We know that every child benefits from the individualized attention of a caring adult, and when that attention is geared toward reading, a child can improve his literacy skills as well as the his attitudes about reading. In the realm of national service, we know that individualized attention from a volunteer tutor is most effective when programs are thoughtfully designed and tutoring sessions incorporate research-based elements and proven practices. And there are, indeed, important principles of volunteer management that help both national service programs and schools effectively support and engage reading tutors so that they can better assist student learning. These principles and practices apply whether the tutor is a 66-year-old RSVP volunteer wanting to stay active in retirement or a 20-year-old AmeriCorps member attending college.
However, more must be said about senior volunteers and the role they play in tutoring programs and schools. Every child benefits from the individualized attention of a caring adult, and when that adult is a senior volunteer, something special happens for both student and senior. That something unique is what FGP and RSVP program directors and educators have long valued but not fully articulated; what policymakers have assumed but not completely understood. And thus, its potential has never been fully realized. That something unique stems from the nature of the intergenerational relationship. The dynamic of that relationship-reciprocal and accepting-give rise to opportunities for learning, growth, and understanding for both participants. When that relationship is supported by program and school resources and staff, then it can become the foundation on which students build personal as well as academic success, and from which seniors make important connections to peers, the community, and a younger generation.
Many FGP and RSVP programs are already working closely with school partners to support and nurture those relationships. This study focuses on the elements of design and practice that school-based FGP and RSVP tutoring programs have used to help seniorsfeel confident, be effective and, positively impact students and their stations. How do education-focused, senior volunteer programs define their goals and work with partners to achieve them? What other elements of program design lend to strong partnerships with schools, volunteer effectiveness, and student success? What training and other support help senior tutors feel confident and be effective? What tutoring session designs have helped students behind in reading improve and volunteers realize their potential? These are the questions at the core of this investigation, which looks closely at five National Senior Service Corps programs (four RSVP and one FGP). What follows is an outline of the study's methodology and a review of its findings, first discussing the outcomes for both students and volunteers as reported by programs and as described by teachers, volunteers, and others in interviews. Next are outlined the ways in which programs and schools have worked together to design effective tutoring projects, create vital and robust tutoring environments, and provide effective volunteer training and ongoing support so that students and volunteers thrive. Based on the experiences of the partners and participants in these five programs (and what research tells us about effective program management and volunteer tutoring practices), recommendations are offered to help programs, educators, funders, and policymakers work together to create effective programs that serve children and senior volunteers and report on the full range of benefits each realizes. Finally, the five participating programs are profiled; these profiles represent a range of effective design elements but are not meant to be complete models for tutoring programs.
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