Schools of Hope comes to Mendocino

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”  This popular quote written by Dr. Seuss holds as true today as it did the day it was written.  Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success, and reading is a core building block.  Reading skills are essential for finding and keeping a job with a livable wage and health benefits, yet fewer than half of Mendocino County 3rd graders are reading at grade level.

In an effort to help improve student reading scores, United Way of the Wine Country is partnering with NCO Volunteer Network and the Ukiah Unified School District to offer a Schools of Hope program, beginning in January, at Calpella Elementary School.  Schools of Hope is an early intervention strategy for children (K-3) who struggle with reading.  This model is based off of best practices from Dane County, Wisconsin, where  it virtually eliminated the achievement gap over a period of 10 years.

The success of this exciting program depends on volunteers willing to work one-on-one with students for 30 minutes a week.  Those who wish to tutor more than one student may do so, provided they are able to commit an additional 30 minutes of volunteer time per student.  Training and materials will be provided so tutors can feel confident. 

An information and orientation session will be held at North Coast Opportunities (NCO) on Monday, December 8th at 5:15 pm.  Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer or hearing more about the program should plan to attend.  NCO is located at 413 N. State Street in Ukiah. 

For more information  or to RSVP for the orientation/information session, please call the NCO Volunteer Network at 462-1959.

Program(s) Involved: Volunteer Network Redirect