Spring 2016 Community Partners
SOCL 269
Community Partner
African Community Education (ACE)
Assumption Center
Claremont Academy
Let’s Get Ready
MassEdCo.
Woodland Academy
Time Frame
Monday- Thursday, 3-6pm (for one 2-hour time
block)
Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, 2:30-4:45p
Monday-Friday 8a-4p (for one 2-hour time
block)
Monday or Wednesday, 5:30-8:30p
Monday-Friday, 7:10a-1:40p (for one 2-hour
time block)
Monday – Friday, 8a-2:13p (no Wednesdays
after 12p) (for one 2-hour time block)
Sign-Up
CBL Fair
CBL Fair
CBL Fair
CBL Fair
Office
CBL Fair
African Community Education (ACE)
http://www.acechildren.org/
24 Chatham St. Worcester
Staff Contact:
Volunteer Coordinator
Volunteer@acechildren.org
508-799-3653
Organization Description:
The African Community Education Program (ACE) has a mission to assist African refugee and
immigrant youth and families in achieving educational and social stability through access to
academic support, leadership development, cultural expression, and community outreach in Worcester,
MA. ACE focuses its attention on recent refugees and immigrants, especially those coming from
countries of conflict. ACE students are English Language Learners with limited or interrupted formal
education, are low-income, and adjusting to American educational culture.
CBL Opportunities
After School Program Volunteer:
Our After-School program combines homework tutoring and extracurricular activities to provide
students in Grades 5-12 with supportive, structured, enriched learning opportunities during out-ofschool hours. The goals of the After School Program: (1) provide a structured environment for students
to receive academic support and assistance to complete school & assignments and become independent
learners; (2) provide interactive extracurricular and recreational activities that enrich students’
academic, social-emotional, and physical well-being by hosting facilitators from our partners in the
Worcester community.
Volunteers commit to at least 2 hours/week for at least 1 semester to serve as tutors and activity
assistants. Volunteers assist students with their homework assignments, projects, and academic
enrichment and guide them to become independent learners. Volunteers also assist extracurricular,
gym, and leadership activities to guide students to engage in learning, demonstrate good
sportsmanship, and develop positive leadership skills. Volunteers must be flexible to work with one
student or in a small group as needed. Volunteers may state preference for age/grade level and
academic subject, which ACE tries to honor.
When: Monday- Thursday, 3:00-6:00pm. September 8, 2014 – June 2015 (closely aligned to the
Worcester Public Schools calendar)
Pre-service Requirements:
Volunteer Application, Emergency Contact Form, CORI form & photocopy of photo ID, & attend a 2 Hour
New Volunteer Orientation
Volunteers needed: 10-15
Assumption Center
http://www.assumptionsisters.org/
16 Vineyard Street
Worcester, MA 01603
Staff Contact:
Sr. Catherine Anne Soley, RA
Sr. Mary Ann Azana, R.A.
center@assumptionsisters.org
508-767-1356
Organization Description:
The Assumption Center in Worcester is a ministry of the Religious of the Assumption. In partnership
with the parish of St. Peter-St. Andrew in the city’s Main South area, the Center serves the various
educational needs of the neighborhood through English as a Second Language classes for adult learners,
after-school mentoring and literacy programs, the Kate O’Neill spiritual book library, Girls With DREAMS,
GIFT Lecture Series and a Vietnamese summer camp. In addition, the Center also sponsors a Knitting
Circle and a community garden which involve many volunteers from around the city. All the programs
were founded by the Sisters and are carried out by the Sisters, AMAs and volunteers from Assumption
College, Clark University and College of the Holy Cross as well as a good number of adults from the
parish and the area.
The headquarters of the Sisters’ lay volunteer program, the Assumption Mission Associates (AMA), is
housed at the Assumption Center. A project of the Religious of the Assumption since the 1950s, AMA
has been particularly active in the U.S. since the 1980s. Since its move to Worcester in 2001, AMA-USA
has sent approximately 100 young people to mission sites both overseas and in this country. Currently
the AMAs serve with sisters in Worcester, MA and in Chaparral, NM in the USA and in the Philippines
and England, internationally.
In addition to the AMA office, the Center provides housing for the AMAs themselves, who live together
in the Cana community along with other young adults who are committed to intentional living. The
Cana community shares meals and prayer regularly with the community of Assumption Sisters. The
AMAs offer service at Assumption Center, the parish of St. Peter-St. Andrew’s, and other neighborhood
organizations that serve the disadvantaged.
CBL Opportunities:
MENTORING
The Assumption Center runs an after-school mentoring program at St. Peter’s Church on Wednesday
and Thursday afternoons from 2:30-4:45 p.m. Children, ages 6-15, are paired one on one with college
mentors who help with homework, reading, arts and crafts, games and much more. Since 1996 the
mentoring program has provided a safe, supportive and fun environment for children to spend their
after-school hours.
THIRD DAY
In the fall of 2013, a third day was added to the after school programming with an emphasis on building
literacy. With the help of AMAs and other volunteers, the center opens to the students something of
what they have found in the pages of books. The students are offered a variety of genres and subjects,
given the support they need to move into longer periods of reading, and then have an opportunity to
share their ideas. There is time for writing as well. Sometimes there is a read-aloud or have a guest
reader. But the focus is always on providing the students with blocks of time to enjoy reading. The
program meets on Tuesdays from 2:30p-4:45p at St Peter’s.
Pre-Service Requirements: CORI Form
Number of Volunteers Needed: 10 or more for Mentoring (5 per day); 6-8 for Third Day (3-4 Spanish
students)
Claremont Academy
www.claremont.worcesterschools.org
15 Claremont Street, Worcester MA 01610
Staff Contact:
Jessica Coleman
colemanjm@worc.k12.ma.us
School Counselor, Guidance
Office (508) 799-3077
Cell (508) 320-9370
Organization Description:
Claremont Academy is a grade 7-12 public school located in the Main South section of Worcester. We
have a diverse population of approximately 500+ students, predominately from low income households.
According to the Claremont 2014 DOE Report Card, our English Language Learner population accounts
for approximately 40% of our students and this number continues to grow.
Claremont is committed to providing all students with a college and career-ready education. Students
take an all honors course of study starting in the middle school; upper classmen can take college courses
as part of our dual enrollment program. In addition to the core curriculum, Claremont also offers many
elective courses including American Sign Language, Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, Computer Technology,
Engineering, and African American History. There are also many AP courses from which to choose
including AP Biology, Calculus, Statistics, English Literature, and Environmental Science. In addition to
academics, Claremont has many student-run programs and groups including the Claremont Community
Service Club, National and Junior National Honor Societies, and Student Government. Claremont has a
thriving student and teacher culture where high expectations and success for all are core beliefs.
CBL Opportunities
Claremont would like CBL students to serve as tutors for our English Language Learners (ELLs), former
ELL students, as well as any students needing extra support in Math, English, and Science.
Tutors are needed throughout the day, as well as after school.
1.5-2 hour weekly commitment is needed within the following time periods:
Monday-Friday during and after school: 8:00-4:00 (flexible start and finish times)
Volunteers Needed: As many as possible
Pre-Service Requirements: CORI form
Let's Get Ready
http://www.letsgetready.org/
89 South St. Boston
(staff work in Boston, but program administered at South High in Worcester in the fall semester, and
North High in the spring semester)
Staff Contacts:
Renee Robichaud, Worcester Site Director
worcesterlgr@gmail.com
Phone: 508-579-5518
Ashley Lesperance, Worcester Program Manager
alesperance@letsgetready.org
Cell: 508-269-8159
Boston Office: 617-345-0098
Lisa A. Dziokonski
New England Director of College Access
ldziokonski@letsgetready.org
Main Line: 617-366-2643
Direct: 617-345-0082
Fax: 617-507-6041
Organization Description:
Let's Get Ready provides low-income high school students with free SAT preparation, admissions
counseling and other support services needed to gain admission to and graduate from college. Services
are provided by volunteer college students who also serve as role models and mentors. LGR was
founded in 1998 by Jeannie Lang Rosenthal, a Harvard undergraduate. Believing that the knowledge
and experience she had gained while applying to college could be of substantial value to low-income
high school students who lacked access to the critical support resources she had, Jeannie started the
first Let’s Get Ready program in a church basement in Mount Vernon, NY. Since then Let’s Get Ready
has served more than 19,000 low-income high school students with the mentoring power of 7,000
trained volunteer college Coaches. In partnerships with colleges, high schools and community
organizations, programs stretch from Lewiston, Maine to Philadelphia. In 2013 Let’s Get Ready assisted
nearly 3,500 high school students on the road to higher education and college success.
CBL Opportunities:
Let's Get Ready mobilizes and trains volunteer college student ""Coaches"" as tutors and mentors who
provide not only instruction but also the encouragement and inspiration students need to succeed.
Coaches are comprehensively trained to teach reading comprehension & writing or math (or both), as
well as financial aid and college readiness. The program runs from 5:30-8:30 on Monday and
Wednesday nights. Reading comp coaches teach one night and math coaches teach the other night, but
students attend both nights each week. Coaches must commit to preparing for and teaching the full
three-hour class each week. Let's Get Ready provides a workbook and lesson plan, which coaches can
supplement with fun activities of their own.
Coaches are dynamic and motivated undergraduate students who are committed to equality and social
justice. Coaches will work on site once or twice a week to guide a small group of high school students
through the SAT and college application process.
Qualifications:
• Have SAT score of 600 or higher in the subject they want to teach
• Tutoring experience ideal, but not required
Responsibilities:
• Attend a 4-5 hour orientation session
• Volunteer one evening per week for approximately 6-8 weeks
• Serve as a mentor to high school students
• Prepare high school students for the Math or Critical Reading/Writing Sections of the upcoming
SAT
• Help students better understand the college admissions process and assist on completion
of key components of their application
Pre-service Requirements: CORI form, Online Volunteer application at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CoachWorcesterSp15
Volunteers needed: 5-10
MassEdCO
http://www.massedco.org
484 Main St Suite 500 Worcester, MA 01608
Staff Contact:
Donna Connolly
dconnolly@massedco.org
508 754 6829 ext. 3016
Organization Description:
Massachusetts Education and Career Opportunities, Inc. (MassEdCO, Inc.) is a statewide network of
service sites that provides education and career advising to over 14,000 individuals each
year. MassEdCO’s mission is to assist individuals in identifying a potential career path and the education
programs that will lead to that career, and help them enroll in, pay for and succeed in the appropriate
education program. Economically and educationally disadvantaged individuals are the focus of our
services, which are provided free of charge. Funding for MassEdCO comes from the federal and state
education departments, as well as private foundation and corporate sources.
Our Mission
MassEdCO provides access to educational and career opportunities that empower people from diverse
backgrounds to achieve their potential.
Our Vision
Educational Opportunity for All
Our Values
Empowerment, Opportunity, Diversity, Commitment
MassEdCO Opportunities:
GEAR UP Program - MassEdCO GEAR UP programs exist at Worcester East Middle School and North
High School and services are provided to grades 7-12. Opportunities exist for tutoring, classroom
workshop assistance, and working in the guidance department at the middle school level. At the high
school, Holy Cross students could work in the fast paced GEAR UP office working one on one with
students on the college search process and SAT/ACT registration. Additionally they could accompany
GEAR UP staff to classroom workshops and share their experiences as a college student to help motivate
high school students to go to college.
Educational Talent Search is based at both Burncoat and South High Schools in Worcester. Holy Cross
students could work with students in grade 11 and 12 and help them with the college search and
application process, financial aid forms and with SAT/ACT registration. In addition, they could assist staff
with classroom workshops for all grades, explaining the importance of keeping their grades up, course
selection and other related topics. At Burncoat HS, help is needed with planning a college decision day
in late April.
School hours are 7:10 am to 1:40 pm.
Pre-Service Requirements: CORI
Volunteers Needed: 3-4
Woodland Academy
http://woodland.worcesterschools.org/
Staff Contacts:
Sarah Belisea
Wraparound Coordinator
BeliseaS@worc.k12.ma.us
Patty Padilla
Principal
PadillaP@worc.k12.ma.us
Organization Description:
Woodland Academy is a preschool through grade six, public elementary school in the Main South
neighborhood of Worcester. The school currently serves a community of learners who are classified as
92.7% minority. Our community includes:
•
73% Latino
•
10% Asian
•
9% African American
•
8% White
•
57% English Language Learners
•
15% Special Education
•
97% Free or Reduced Lunch
Our vision is that students and teachers of Woodland Academy will engage in focused, Common Core
teaching and learning with the critical goal of increasing student achievement. This effort is supported
by a professional learning community, which fosters collaborative learning among and between teacher
teams. Our school wide focus is to ensure students are able to read grade level texts with joy,
understanding, and engagement across all areas of the curriculum. A systematic approach to time on
learning driven by research based instruction will enable students who require additional supports and
interventions to achieve success. We are committed to providing all students and families with a
challenging educational experience in order to maximize individual learning and growth and promote
the development of critical thinking skills.
CBL Opportunities:
Volunteers are needed Monday through Friday, throughout the school day 8:00am - 2:13pm, to support
classroom instruction and provide additional support for students who may benefit from one-to-one
academically based interaction. In addition, there may be opportunities for volunteers to support
various after-school programs currently underway. No academic expertise is required; only enthusiasm
and a commitment to working with young people in a friendly, respectful, and supportive environment.
*No Wednesdays after 12p
Pre-service Requirements: CORI form
Number of Volunteers Needed: 5-10