At a White House press conference on Oct. 21 attended by Yale officials, President Bill Clinton announced that nearly 800 colleges and universities across the country have dedicated work-study positions to help ensure that every American child can read well and independently by the end of third grade.
"Our college and university presidents, and our college students have more than risen to meet this challenge," President Clinton said. President Richard C. Levin represented Yale at the event, along with General Counsel Dorothy K. Robinson, and Richard Jacob, assistant vice president for federal relations.
President Clinton singled out the enthusiasm of Yale students for the literacy program, noting that, "At Yale, 300 students applied for
60 work-study slots." In speaking with media covering the event, President Levin noted that the students at Yale participating in the program are just a fraction of the Yale students who are engaged in community service projects in the New Haven area.
To promote universal literacy, in August of 1996 President Clinton launched the America Reads Challenge, which aims to deploy a million reading tutors in the elementary schools. The U.S. Department of Education approved the use of work-study funds to pay for reading tutors and made additional work-study funding available for the 1997-98 academic year.
Yale received a 27 percent increase in its work-study funding this year. To date, $103,000 of the funding has been committed to supporting a pilot literacy program, according to Michael Morand, assistant secretary for education and human development in Yale's Office of New Haven Affairs.
The program, based at Timothy Dwight Elementary School in New Haven, is a partnership among Yale, the New Haven Public Schools and the New Haven Free Public Library; it is coordinated by Yale College seniors Julie Curran and T. Reginald Solomon. The program matches each third grader with a Yale undergraduate who has been trained as a reading tutor. The partners work together all through the school year, meeting three afternoons a week and visiting the New Haven Free Public Library every Saturday to borrow books and participate in programs.
In September, President Levin invited all undergraduate work-study students to apply to be reading tutors, and over 300 came forward. Of those, Yale hired about 70 students, one for each third grader. Each tutor underwent a 12-hour training session, conducted by New Haven Public Schools reading specialist Saylor Heidmann. On Oct. 15, the partners met and the program began.
"We're extremely excited to be the pilot program in New Haven for this national effort," says Peggy Moore, principal of Timothy Dwight Elementary School. "This is a wonderful opportunity to make sure that the children achieve. Often, all it takes is a little boost -- that special spark that comes from getting some attention -- to motivate a child. Yale is a vital resource in our city, and Yale has reached out into the community. We're delighted to have Yale as our partner in this program.
"There is much more involved than the basics of reading," adds Ms. Moore. "There will be social development for the children. In addition, the college students will provide important role modelling and friendship. They'll show the children the best it's possible for them to become. Within a little while, just a few weeks after getting started, we will see a different attitude on the part of the children. They'll be involved, excited about reading and learning. They'll look forward to seeing their tutors. I've seen it happen before, and I know it will happen here."
Charles Warner, New Haven supervisor of instruction for elementary schools, says, "This will increase the children's reading for pleasure, which will match one of our goals -- to have each child in the New Haven Public Schools read 25 books in the course of the school year. Because of America Reads, each child will have a personal assistant to help realize the goal. This will enhance their academic achievement and provide them with great role models. Just think -- a college kid and and an elementary school child -- think what they can give each other."