Schools of Hope AmeriCorps Keeping Up the Great Work

Hi there! My name is Mary Irene Shannon and I serve through Schools of Hope AmeriCorps in Grand Rapids. The Schools of Hope Program is a partnership between the Heart of West Michigan United Way and the Literacy Center of West Michigan. Our overall goal is to increase literacy skills in first through third graders in the Grand Rapids Public School System. A major reason for the focus on this age-group is, as one man put it, “because until third grade, students are learning to read; after that, they are reading to learn.” 

In addition to this, members also provide literacy outreach to the families of those students, helping to provide the tools with which to better support their child’s education. There are currently 14 AmeriCorps members serving in this program, helping to plan and facilitate the three pieces of our program.

• In-School Tutoring – 800 community volunteers work with 450 first through third grade students, practicing reading one-on-one.
• After-School Reading – 90-minute group reading and writing classes are held for first through third grade students after their regular school day.
• Family Literacy – ESL classes and Family Literacy Events are provided for more than 100 parents of children in Grand Rapids Public Schools.

I fit into this picture by helping with the In-School and After-School Programs at three elementary schools. Typically I spend the morning at one school, the afternoon at another, and the after-school segment at yet another location; it’s a busy but invigorating day! We’re getting far enough into the school year that most of the students are showing visible progress – it’s a very rewarding and encouraging feeling!

In addition to our regular duties, Schools of Hope AmeriCorps members also volunteer at several community outreach events and activities. These include making food for needy children at the Kids’ Food Basket, recruiting volunteers at local University functions or local Volunteer Fairs, and so on.

Just this past Monday, the United Way and Schools of Hope AmeriCorps members played a large part of an enormously  successful event held in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Using space at Celebration Cinema, a film called Traces of the Trade was shown following a Reception and Volunteer Fair that featured several local organizations and AmeriCorps programs. The film; written, directed, and produced by Katrina Browne is a documentary about reconciling with her family’s history, with its American roots in the New England slave-trade. Ms. Browne herself came to Michigan for a Q&A after the film! A staggering 524 people attended the event; the ticket cost was one non-perishable food item. However, the guests went way above and beyond – we ended up with two SUVs and a car filled with food (totaling 902 pounds) plus about $30 in donations to the Feeding America Food Pantry! Sixty volunteers (53 of them AmeriCorps members) helped Lyza Ingram, Charles Archie Jr., and Emily West, among several others, pull off this amazing event.

If you’re in the Grand Rapids area, we’re looking for volunteers with Schools of Hope! We ask only a half-hour of your time each week, during which you are paired with a student who needs your help with reading and writing (you can pick a GRPS location that’s convenient for you). We are also glad to take volunteers to help with one-time community events!