Helping New Orleans One Child at a Time, Part II
Published September 02, 2009 @ 06:25AM PT
As part of our "Back to School in New Orleans" campaign, this is the first in a series of short anecdotes about the children helped by one of our partner organizations, New Orleans Outreach and the volunteers and partners they utilize that are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of one - or thousands - of children each day.
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The New Orleans Charter Science and Math Academy (Sci Academy), a new high school that opened last year, focuses on preparing its students for college success. Often students enter the 9th grade years behind academically, but they persevere. They want to graduate from college and then change the world. These are big goals.
Arianna is an Outreach tutor who has been working one-on-one with a Sci Academy 9th grader who is learning to read. This student worked hard all year on her reading skills and has advanced her reading level by years in just one school year. Even with all the improvement she has made she continues to push herself. Arianna is so committed that she has created special flash cards that meet the specific needs of this student to supplement the curriculum.
Outreach staff talked with this student recently about her reading abilities. She is excited about her ability to read so much better than when she first started at school. And what about her work with Arianna? Our student thinks her tutor is "real good, and helps me learn." A few weeks ago, we saw this student in a summer class. She was asked to read aloud, something that might be unnerving for someone who is only just learning to read. Not this student. She carefully opened her book. She read aloud with pride and perfection, her confidence and poise inspiring to everyone in the room. Her life has changed.
So has Arianna's. She plans to start her own reading group in the neighborhood where she lives. Both of these young women will change the world, in part because of New Orleans Outreach.
Thanks to you, we have raised thousands of dollars for this wonderful organization over the last two weeks - and will continue to raise funds for them through late September. We encourage you to find out more about the "Back to School in New Orleans" campaign here.
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