YMCA READS!Fall 2012

Service Learning Project

At Sulphur Springs

Elementary School

YMCA.

Poverty vs. Youth and Education“Educational Achievement Gap” (Canada, Tough)

Sulphur Springs Elementary School

One of the worst schools in the state (testimonial from Ms. Kipp, kindergarten teacher)

GreatSchool rating: 2/10

School community rating: 3/5

Compare with Cahoon Elementary Magnet School (8/10, 5/5)

Compare with Cleveland Elementary School (6/10, 4/5)

Geoffrey Canada’s Theories

Conveyor Belt

Contamination

Application in Sulphur SpringsConveyor Belt: Early Childhood-->Elementary School --

>Middle School-->High School

Contamination: SSES FCAT grade has risen from an “F” two years in a row to a “B” during the 2008-2009 school year and a “C” in 2009-2010 and 2010-11.

The center of our concentric circles is the Y-Reads program.

YMCA Reads! History

Need for educational intervention

READS! program brought through the Florida Alliance of YMCA and the Department of Education

Less of a transient issue

Children develop a love for reading

Gaines in academic data

How the Kids View the Program

Our Personal ExperiencesOur experiences as a volunteers has offered us an urban reality

check in one of Tampa’s inner city neighborhoods. Serving the youth of Sulphur Springs was quite rewarding, otherwise allowing us to be part of another facet of life; opening our minds and reshaping our preconceived notions of poverty, class and urban stereotypes. We have all been involved with and subject to a program that works relentlessly to correct what years of academic neglect have done to our elementary schools.

Conclusion

Thank You!

Thank you to Professor Jones, Saima, Stacy, and the rest of the YMCA team, the staff and teachers at Sulphur Springs Elementary School.

Thanks to all the kids who taught us just as much as we taught them!

Future USF Bulls!