MATH AND LITERACY PROJECT

"What impresses me most about about the students in the Math Initiative is that the kids meet me more than halfway; they really want to get their hands around the material and they really seem to value my approval because of the relationship we've formed."
-- Robert, Math Initiative volunteer at the Marshall Elementary School


The Math and Literacy Project was launched in The Boston Public Schools in 2005.

Boston Partners in Education has collaborated with fellow school volunteer organization, Generations Incorporated, to make an even greater impact on the city's elementary students by introducing this academic mentoring program to 4th and 5th graders in Dorchester and Roxbury. The Math and Literacy Project helps children year round by providing high quality tutoring within mentoring relationships.

The project focuses on academic improvement during the school year. A Pen Pal program during the summer between children and mentors allows their relationships to grow.

Volunteers meet with their students for at least one hour per week in one of three mentoring programs:
     ~ Our Reading Coaches Program unites students who have demonstrated a clear 
        need for improved literacy skills with mentors who have been trained to provide  
        literacy instruction.
     ~ Our Lunchtime Mentors Program offers individualized assistance to struggling 
        children who need more personal attention and a confidence boost to succeed in 
        school.
     ~ Our Math Initiative serves children who have demonstrated a clear need for 
        improved math performance by uniting them with volunteers who have been 
        trained in the math school curriculum.
        * Boston Partners in Education is responsible for the implementation of this
           Math Initiative.   

What is the impact of the program on students?
Our trained academic mentors deliver individual attention that improves students' educational performance, fosters relationships that build self-confidence, develops pro-social behavior, and increases student attendance.

Where do volunteers come from and what is their role?
Volunteers for The Math and Literacy Project are recruited from the local community. Special efforts are made to recruit older adults, educated and experienced individuals with valuable time to offer. These mentors serve as Experience Corps volunteers. Experience Corps is a national movement that engages older adults in community service. Through the Math and Literacy Project, Generations Inc. and Boston Partners in Education are rapidly expanding the number of Experience Corps volunteers who serve in Boston.

All volunteers are screened according to the guidelines created by Boston Partners in Education for the Boston Public Schools. Math Initiative volunteers are interviewed and must complete training in mentoring and math. A background criminal check (CORI) must also be conducted annually for all volunteers.

* To begin the placement process, prospective volunteers are first asked to complete our Volunteer Registration Form.

To learn more about Boston Partners in Education's Math Initiative, please contact:
Hillary Chazen, Recruitment & School Volunteer Program Manager
617.451.6145
hchazen@bostonpartners.org