Work-study students to fight illiteracy

For the first time, this fall federal work-study students at UB will go into Western New York schools to help fight illiteracy.

UB has joined the "America Reads" program, a new campaign initiated by President Clinton that aims to recruit a million volunteer tutorsÑincluding 100,000 work-study studentsÑto become involved in school literacy programs.

Under new federal guidelines designed to encourage participation in the program, UB will partner with the West Seneca Youth Bureau's AmeriCorps program to begin a pilot project this fall involving up to 100 work-study students who will go into elementary schools to serve as reading tutors, said Mary Gresham, interim vice president for public service and urban affairs.

"We have good students at UB, and good students usually have a variety of experiences that will be useful for this kind of K-8 outreach," she noted. "They're wonderful models for kids, and kids who need literacy assistance will not only get literacy assistance, but they'll get mentoring and role-model help and a future focus in terms of higher education. Just interacting with our students will be good for them."

The UB students will go through a literacy training course, as well as the AmeriCorps community-service training course, which covers such topics as conflict resolution, awareness of community-service needs, trust-building, team-building and professional ethicsÑ"all of which are things students need to know before they can become effective volunteers," Gresham said.

Fifty students will be placed by AmeriCorps in schools throughout Erie County.

The university, which for years has worked with schools in the Buffalo, Sweet Home and Amherst districts, will place the remaining 50 students in schools in those districts, as well as the Kenmore/Town of Tonawanda schools, if requested.

Gresham said she hopes students will be placed in schools by Oct. 1. The program is open to all students, although those not eligible for work study cannot as yet be paid.

"This (America Reads) gives those who are especially interested in teaching a wonderful opportunity to go out, do something useful, gain a little work experience and get paid for it."

Students who are placed in schools by AmeriCorps will be eligible to receive AmeriCorps' "higher-education tuition benefit," said Mark Lazarra, executive director of the West Seneca AmeriCorps.

The students also may participate in other major community-service projects through AmeriCorps, Lazarra said, adding that the amount of the tuition benefit these students earn will depend upon the number of hours they work on AmeriCorps projects.

Lazarra stressed that the UB students will be "tutoring, not teaching" when they go into the elementary schools. "We want to help students enhance their reading skills" and realize that "reading is fun, it is acceptable."