Jasmine Walker here, a proud AmeriCorps VISTA. Today is full of empowering young ladies to be all they can in the world of STEM. The girls made a slogan that states:

“I have a voice. What I say matters, How I say it matters, but it must be said!”

#dayinthelife #americorpsweek #madeinamericorps

It’s Paula again! A bit about Reading Partners: it connects volunteers from local communities with students in neighborhood schools to provide them with one-on-one tutoring and the tools they need to achieve grade level literacy results. Community volunteer tutors are the lifeblood of our organization.

The statistics on elementary reading achievement in Baltimore alone are staggering: results from the spring 2018 Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment indicate that only 14.2 percent of Baltimore City’s third- through fifth-grade students met or exceeded expectations of grade-level reading. However, with the help of volunteer tutors, more than 83 percent of students who are enrolled in our program meet or exceed their literacy goals!

A #DayinTheLife of a site coordinator includes overseeing the tutors and students who come into the reading center, and filling in when tutors can’t make a session. According to MV, this is one of the most fulfilling parts of her service. “I love being able to just focus in on one student and see their growth. It's like looking through a microscope, you get to zoom in on a student and really see how they’re doing.” MV told me. “I’ve worked with students in the past, but to be able to see their growth over a full school year has really taught me to appreciate the process a student needs, as well as the power of relationships. Americorps has given me the opportunity to form bonds and truly become a part of a community at my school with not just students, but teachers, staff, and volunteers.” #DayinTheLife

#MadeinAmericorps
#AmeriCorpsWeek

Just got back from my meeting with HR, and things are looking good for the Neighborhood Block Party Trailer! The trailer will give residents a low-barrier opportunity to foster connections with members of the community. I started this project in June, and it’s been rewarding to see it move past the idea phase. Last year, I did a lot of grunt work, which wasn’t the most fun. At the start, I spent the majority of my time toggling between Google and Excel, and became somewhat of an expert in navigating city websites.

After finishing initial research and a memo, there were no updates for months. I learned quickly that things in government work on their own schedule. Ultimately, the project wasn’t approved until the beginning of this year and since then things have been progressing just as slowly.
Even though everything is still happening on its own time, meetings like the one I had today remind me that progress is still being made. At this pace, my AmeriCorps term will end before residents are able to access this new resource, but at the end of the day I know that I played an essential part in the whole process.

#dayinthelife #madeinamericorps #americorpsweek