Summer is coming to an end and it’s almost time to head back to school! This means shopping for school supplies, choosing out an outfit for the first day of school and getting organized before heading back to class — not exactly what we had in mind for our last week of summer vacation!
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But “Back to School” also means “Back to School” for service year corps members! All across the country, corps members are joining our nation’s young people and heading back to school for their service year — ready to tutor students in reading, writing and math and getting excited about mentoring students in schools all across America.
Summer may be almost over, but here are the top 5 reasons that service year corps members make going back to school fun!
5. No matter if you’re at recess or studying for a big test, service year corps members always keep things exciting!
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4. Service year corps members can make even the biggest books and most challenging subjects fun.
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Service year corps members are working to narrow reading achievement gaps by helping struggling students catch up with their peers and recruiting tutors who can help develop kids into lifelong readers. For example, in Minnesota, a recent study showed that the average kindergarten student with a service year corps member with Reading Corps performed twice as well as students without one.
3. When you’re hanging with service year corps members, you never feel left out. (You can always sit with us!)
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Service year corps members with Playworks help improve learning by bringing safe, healthy play to children on the playground and in the classroom. In fact, 90% of staff at schools with Playworks coaches said that students’ use of conflict resolution strategies during recess increased and 79% said that bullying at recess decreased.
2. When you just need someone to cheer you on — service year corps members will be there for you every step of the way!
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Service year corps members engage with students one-on-one, often in at-risk schools, to increase students’ engagement in the classroom and lower the dropout rate. Service years engage more than 18,000 AmeriCorps members as teachers, tutors, mentors and counselors to help educate students and cheer them on when they need it most.
1. If that’s not convincing enough, look on the bright side — it will be graduation before you know it!
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AmeriCorps members who do a service year with programs like Citizen Schools help all students achieve their dreams through mentoring and skill-building apprenticeships that translate into college readiness and career opportunities. One study found that former students who worked with Citizen Schools corps members, graduated from high school within four years at a rate of 71%, compared to their peers who graduated at a rate of 59%!
So as you head back to school in the next few weeks, cheer up! Service year corps members make school more fun and they can’t wait to get back in the classroom this year!
