Charleston Volunteers for Literacy

Charleston Volunteers for Literacy

Location: 635 Rutledge Ave. Suite 201, Charleston, SC 29403

Contact: Kecia Greenho, kmgreenho@aol.com, 508-561-3537
Website: www.charlestonliteracy.org

OVERVIEW

Description of Group/Organization and programs offered which relate to improving literacy:
We have 200 volunteers who tutor second grade students at six Title One Schools. There are no fees.

Area(s) of Charleston County served:

Mitchell Elementary School and Sanders-Clyde Elementary on the Charleston Peninsula.
Mary Ford, Burns, James Simons and Memminger Elementary schools in North Charleston

SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Are services offered in any schools?        Yes.
Charleston Volunteers for Literacy's Book buddies program serves Mary Ford, James Simons, Burns, Memminger, Mitchell and Sanders-Clyde elementary schools.

Book Buddies is a pullout program during the day serving second grade students. Times vary according to school. A site coordinator, who is a trained specialist in reading, tests students before tutoring begins to determine needs and then writes individualized lesson plans for each student's lesson. Students are tutored twice a week by the same tutor all year. Progress is monitored by testing at mid-year and at the end of the year. The program covers phonics, reading, vocabulary and comprehension activities each day.

OUTREACH AND IN-HOUSE PROGRAMS

Do services include any non-school outreach to the community?   No.

Population(s) directly served by organization:

Elementary School

ASSESSMENT

We use the MAP test data and CCSD compares our data to other students in Title One Schools.
We also use the PALS test to determine students individual strengths and weaknesses.

PARTNERSHIPS

Interested in establishing a partnership with another organization/group?         Yes               
We are always interested in working with other programs to share information.

VOLUNTEERS

Are there volunteer opportunities?         Yes.
Each volunteer tutor works with a child either once or twice a week. They work one-on-one with the same child each week. They arrive 15 minutes before the children come for tutoring to familiarize themselves with the lesson plan and activities provided by the Site Coordinator. They then tutor for 45 minutes. When the children leave they write comments about the session for the Site Coordinator. Tutors begin tutoring the first week in October. They are trained in September. They finish tutoring after the first week in May.

Volunteer coordinator’s contact information :

Kecia Greenho, kmgreenho@aol.com, 508-561-3537

Begin With Books

Begin With Books

Location: PO Box 183, Charleston, SC, 29402-183
Contact: Patty Bennett-Uffelman, beginwithbooks@gmail.com
Website: http://beginwithbooks.org/

OVERVIEW

Description of Group/Organization and programs offered which relate to improving literacy:
Local affiliate of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library enrolls pre-school children in FREE-BOOKS-BY-MAIL program. Enrolled children receive one free, developmentally appropriate book in the mail every month from birth until their fifth birthday.

Area(s) of Charleston County served:

To be eligible, children must live in one of the currently licensed zip codes: 29426, 29429, 29438, 29449, 29455-57, 29458, 29470, and 29487.

SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Are services offered in any schools?        Yes.
Children (age birth-4) who live in eligible zip codes may be enrolled at the following Head Start programs: Blaney Head Start, Frierson Head Start,  Mt. Zion Head Start,  Rising Star at St. James-Santee.
Registration forms to enroll younger siblings (birth through age 4) of students may be obtained from the media specialist at any elementary school in the designated zip codes (29426, 29429, 29438, 29449, 29455-57, 29458, 29470, 29487).

OUTREACH AND IN-HOUSE PROGRAMS

Do services include any non-school outreach to the community?   YES.
Parents of children (age birth-4) who live in eligible zip codes can pick up enrollment forms at the Edisto, Hollywood, Johns Island, and McClellanville branches of Charleston County Public Library.

Population(s) directly served by organization:

0 to 2 years old
3 to 5 years old

PARTNERSHIPS

Interested in establishing a partnership with another organization/group?         Yes.   
YES. We will partner with any organization that will help us to reach families with young children in our eligible zip codes.   

VOLUNTEERS

Are there volunteer opportunities?         Yes.
Volunteer opportunities for registration outreach are available on a flexible schedule. Volunteers manage registration tables at public events (school open houses; PTA meetings; parades; festivals) and at popular retail stores.

Volunteer coordinator’s contact information :

Janet Segal, 843-573-0694, j.e.segal@knology.net