Center for Civic Leadership’s America Reads Chapter
Program Description :
The America Reads Challenge Program is a federally funded national literacy initiative. The Rice chapter of America Reads is overseen by the Center for Civic Leadership as a LEARN level Program.
The program provides Rice students who are Financial Aid Work Study eligible an opportunity to earn $15/hour tutoring school students in the Houston community.
Participating students will attend orientation and trainings aimed at enhancing their tutoring skills through an ethical community engagement framework.
America Reads is open to all majors and is a great opportunity for students that:
- Enjoy working with youth
- Want to be more engaged with the Houston community
- Would like field experience in education
Program Goals :
- Assist our community partner organizations in providing tutoring to youth that supports education equity.
- Work with youth to improve their literacy skills and allow them to catch up and get ahead.
- Provide Federal Work Study students with a meaningful work opportunity and promote student engagement with the Houston community.
Student Roles :
- Attend America Reads orientation at the beginning of each semester
- Tutor minimum of 6 hours a week and submit timesheets timely
- Participate in monthly hour-long America Reads trainings
- Maintain communication with America Reads student coordinators, the America Reads tutor cohort, and the CCL
- Proactively maintain relationships with community partner staff and the students you tutor
- Maintain professional demeanor and be on time to all shifts
- Notify America Reads student coordinator and site supervisor if you need to make a permanent change to your schedule
Partnering Sites 2023
Momentum Education
- Location: Completely Virtual.
- Student Population: High School students, many of whom are first-generation.
- Working Hours: After School Hours (4pm-8pm). This is also the only partnership in which
you have the option to work weekends. You are required to work 6 hours a week at this
partnership.
- Subject(s): You will help students with things related to preparing to apply to college,
which can be lessons over time management skills, applying to internships/scholarships,
and being professional.
Nehemiah Center (religiously affiliated)
- Location: 5015 Fannin Street. According to google maps, this is a 22-minute walk from
the Academic Quad or 16 minutes by taking the metro rail.
- Student Population: Elementary school/younger middle schoolers.
- Working Hours: After School Hours (3/4pm-6pm) from Monday-Friday, except school
holidays.
- Subject(s): You will help students with their homework as needed in a classroom setting.
You also have the opportunity to participate in recreational activities with them like
sports and art/crafts.
Poe Elementary
- Location: 5100 Hazard Street. According to google maps, this is a 22-minute walk from
the Academic Quad.
- Student Population: You will be working with 1 st , 2 nd or 3 rd graders. You will be assigned a
set group of students, who you will work with on a largely one-on-one basis.
- Working Hours: During school hours, which could be anywhere from 8am-3pm. For the
tutors matched to this organization, we will work more closely with you to find times
that work for both tutors and teachers.
- Subject(s): You will help students (who are likely behind in literacy skills) improve their
reading skills. This will happen through reading with them or playing literacy games
(which will be provided for you).
reVision Houston
- Location: 6856 Bellaire Blvd. This is a 13 min drive from Rice University.
- Student Population: You will be working with a large range of student ages (elementary-
college freshman) but most students will likely be middle schoolers/high schoolers. This
organization works with at-risk students who have been affected by the criminal justice
system.
- Working Hours: After school hours (4pm-8pm). There is some flexibility with how long
you will be there, but we ask that tutors try to stay most of this 4-8pm time block.
- Subject(s): You will help students with their homework as needed in a classroom setting.
You also have the opportunity to participate in recreational activities with them like
sports and community events.
We will compensate/reimburse tutors for transportation time.
Contact America Reads Student Coordinator with any questions: Imaan Patel (inp1@rice.edu), Kimberly Dorsey (kwd2@rice.edu) or Ella Seigel (iss4@rice.edu)