"It has given me a hands-on experience that, essentially, is my marketability in my future profession."
American Reads * America Counts senior tutor ’10, MA. ’11
It has given me a hands-on experience that, essentially, is my marketability in my future profession.
True win-win scenarios are rare and treasured for obvious reasons. Adelphi’s involvement with America Reads and America Counts is one such example.
Making Time Adelphi students from all disciplines carve out six hours per week to tutor elementary students in math, reading, or both, in a one-on-one or classroom setting. The program is affiliated with the Federal Work-Study program, but the rewards for Adelphi students stem from their ability to positively influence children’s lives and create lasting relationships with the teachers with whom they work closely.
In 2002, just 20 Adelphi students volunteered in two local elementary schools. Today, more than 100 Adelphi students participate in 11 schools in 4 districts, including Floral Park, Mineola, Hempstead, and Roosevelt.
How do students balance demands of tutoring and their studies? “Our tutors do very well,” says Karen Autry, employer relations specialist for Adelphi’s Center for Career Development and program coordinator for the America Reads *America Counts program. “The program helps the students learn to prioritize because they find the time to tutor in between and after their classes. It’s a lesson in time management that they can also teach the children they’re tutoring,” she says.
After two years of being consistent and responsible tutors, America Reads * America Counts volunteers are promoted to senior tutors. Adelphi alumnus Brian Michael Hoyle ’10, MA ’11 attained such a status. As a tutor for America Reads*America Counts, Mr. Hoyle worked at the Meadow Drive School in Albertson, New York. He began the program tutoring in Meadow Drive’s second to fifth grade self-contained special education program, but is now a senior tutor to a fourth grade class. He is also played a larger role in the program, serving in the Mineola district as a liaison between Adelphi and participating schools, and as a supervisor, helping to acclimate incoming tutors to their districts. “Being a lead tutor has not only provided me with a network of colleagues and peers to scaffold my success,” says Mr. Hoyle, “but the program has also given me five years of in-class experience with the students I will be certified to teach. It has given me a hands-on experience that, essentially, is my marketability in my future profession.”