The Oasis Institute wants to expand its Intergenerational Tutoring Program in Jefferson County and needs more volunteers to help students in kindergarten through third grade improve their reading and other skills.
The volunteers also serve as mentors, positive role models and friends.
“You make a huge relationship with that student,” said Lori Deubner, RSVP coordinator for Oasis, a nonprofit organization that provides volunteers to elementary schools in eight Jefferson County school districts: Fox C-6, Northwest R-1, Grandview R-2, De Soto, Hillsboro R-3, Dunklin R-5, Festus R-6 and newly added partner, Jefferson R-7.
Deubner said most Oasis volunteers are 50 or older, but besides needing a background check, there aren’t a lot of requirements to become a volunteer.
“You don’t have to be a trained educator,” she said. “All you need to do is have a love of children and a love of books. Because everything else, we teach them what to do with the training that’s required.”
Deubner said volunteers meet with one student one day a week, for about 30-60 minutes.
Tutor training set for Aug. 29
Deubner said Oasis has about 100 tutors in Jefferson County schools, and the organization hopes to recruit 30 more by the end of the summer.
While volunteers are welcome for all eight participating districts, Deubner said the need for volunteers is greatest at the Northwest and Jefferson R-7 districts.
Training for Jefferson County Oasis tutors will be offered from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, at the Fox C-6 Service Center, 849 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold. Lunch will be provided.
Even though the training is being held at the Fox district, Deubner emphasized that the training is for volunteers who want to tutor at any Jefferson County school, not just Fox.
Several other training sessions will be held in the St. Louis area if the Aug. 29 date does not fit a volunteer’s schedule. Those who want to volunteer may sign up or get more details about the training sessions by calling Deubner at 314-687-1112 or sending her an email at ldeubner@oasisnet.org.
Tutors will receive training to prepare them to help students academically, socially and emotionally, such as building confidence and motivation and enjoyment of reading and writing. The volunteers also will receive training in trauma sensitivity, Duebner said.
“We provide an outlet for a student to be able to make a relationship and to be able to talk to someone who cares about them. Many of these kids do not have that in their home and when they get sad or mad or frustrated, they’re not sure what to do with those emotions,” she said. “So much of this is intuitive for our tutors. They’re parents and grandparents, for the most part, and they remember their own kids going through similar situations. And for that student to have someone who is there just for them and cares about them makes such a difference.
Catching problems early
Hillsboro Primary School Principal Cathy Freeman said the school began providing Oasis tutors last school year, and she’s already seen positive results.
“All of our tutors were very proud to share their data that the students they were working with had not come to the table with all of the skills needed for kindergarten readiness, but that they were able to see great progress throughout their time with them.”
Freeman said the school, which has six Oasis volunteers, only had tutors working with kindergartners last year, but she would like to expand the program to other grade levels if additional volunteers can be found.
“We’re seeing great things with the relationships (Oasis volunteers) have built with our little kindergartners,” Freeman said. “My biggest hopes are that students who maybe would benefit from having a positive adult mentor would find that in our Oasis tutors. Do we want them to be working on their reading skills? Absolutely. But I think that it’s even more important that they have strong relationships with people here at the school and know that someone cares about them because that will motivate them to want to be here every day.”
Freeman said Hillsboro Primary is looking for volunteers who have a positive attitude, a heart for kids and the desire to forge relationships and be a difference maker in children’s lives.
Volunteers benefit, too
Kim Sult, the director of instruction at the Northwest School District, said she’s seen the program have positive impacts on not only the students, but also on the tutors.
“All of our tutors share how they feel like they’re getting more out of working with the kids than the kids are getting from them,” she said. “That’s really beautiful to see. So we’re impacting our adults as well.”
Sult said tutors have shared stories about former students approaching them at the store years later to talk to them about books and activities they completed together.
“I think the benefit of knowing that they’re making an impact with the kids and the kids are remembering them even when they’re not continuing to work with them, it’s pretty special. They have shared that it gives them a purpose each week. They have something they are looking forward to doing, and it’s a rewarding experience for them overall.”
Sult said the Northwest district currently has 14 Oasis tutors serving kindergarten through fifth grade and would like to have more volunteers to help even more students improve performance inside the classroom.
Katie Collins, principal at the Fox district’s Simpson Elementary School and former Oasis facilitator for the Fox district, said many Oasis tutors enjoy mentoring so much they tutor multiple students.
Collins said the district’s 21 tutors mentored 45 students this school year.
“We had one tutor at Hodge Elementary who was working with nine kids,” she said.
Collins said the district is still looking for more volunteers.
“The more the merrier,” she said.
Oasis volunteers are kind, compassionate, caring people who want to make a difference in the lives of students, Collins said.
She said not only has she noticed an increase in reading levels among students who work with Oasis volunteers, but she’s also noticed an increase in enthusiasm among those students.
“The kids really do look forward to meeting with their tutors every week. And I know the tutors likewise look forward to meeting with the kids. It really is all about building those relationships and the kids just are very excited and want to see them.”