Reach Potential Movement » Literacy

Teens Go for the Gold!

Rob — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 20:45:38 +0000

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award in Girl Scouting. It symbolizes outstanding accomplishments in the areas of leadership, community service, career planning and personal development. Very few Girl Scouts reach this honor so we’re thrilled that one of our volunteer champions, Olivia, and a Mountain View Girl Scout troop leader, Kim, had the vision and willingness to coach Melissa and Margaret as they sought their Gold Award by partnering with RPM this winter. Once empowered by their coaches, these two teens mobilized, coordinated and led twenty of their friends to provide our early literacy Bookshelf in Every Home Project to first graders in their community at Monta Loma Elementary.

Melissa & Margaret (in green) and friends

From book drives to fundraising to dishing out high fives to eager kids picking out books, Melissa and Margaret are an example of our movement’s growing YouthLEAD (leadership, empowerment and development) strategy. In fact, on March 5^th while these MVLA teens were leading our Monta Loma Elementary Project, 40 Silver Creek High School California Scholarship Federation (CSF) teens were leading our Bookshelf in Every Home Project at John J. Montgomery Elementary in San Jose. This entire project was led by three teens, Lisa, Sally & Scott who found RPM on VolunteerMatch.org and drove to Mountain View last September to observe teen leaders like Elsie & Micayla lead one of our Kindergarten Bookshelf Projects. Stay tuned for more adult volunteer champions empowering local teens, empowering under-resourced kids as together we’re all reaching our highest potential.

Literacy Programs Launch with Bookshelf Projects

Rob — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 18:26:57 +0000

“Seeing the faces of the participants and reading the feedback forms is a welcome testimony to how happy and pleased the families were who came to the event. Having such a sweet wooden bookcase that the children could individualize was priceless. They had ownership in the decorating of the bookshelf and in filling it with books they selected.” Kindergarten Teacher

We did it! Together WE launched 4 Kindergarten literacy and parent education programs with 180 volunteers who gave a combined 620 hours to empower 225 low-income Mountain View and East Palo Alto Kindergarteners on the path to

Parent Education Workshop

reading proficiency! Together WE inspired and equipped 280 parents through workshops on how to support their child’s early reading habits and skills. Together WE invested 225 mini-bookshelves and school supply kits and 1800 books to place a dream in every child’s heart in our long-term goal of putting a diploma in their hands. Thank you “team” for investing your time, talents and treasure to empower our local under-resourced kids & youth to reach their highest potential!

More quotes:

“The Bookshelf Literacy program has filled a much needed cog in the wheel rolling towards equity in education. There is constant talk of narrowing the achievement gap …this program is an integral part of reaching the goal of even playing fields. Thank you!” Kindergarten Teacher

“THANK YOU for being you, RPM, and for your wonderful drive to make this program a gigantic success!!” Kindergarten Teacher

Two Thousand Stories Behind

Rob — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 00:35:17 +0000

Why a Bookshelf in Every Home? One look at the connections between Literacy, Drop Out & Incarceration Rates can motivate a city to make sure every child grows up with books and can read by third grade. Yet a friend powerfully framed another loss a child unknowingly experiences when they grow up in a home without books. She emailed me the following, “I’m so excited about ALL you’re doing!! I LOVE the idea of a bookshelf in every home (with books, of course). No matter what they can do in schools to “close the gap”, how can a child who has barely seen books and never been read to at age 5 compare to a child who has been read to nearly every day since leaving the womb? He/she is about 2000 stories behind already when they arrive at kindergarten!

It was a “hit me like a ton of bricks” moment. I could not imagine my childhood without climbing into my red, white & blue bed and drifting into the worlds of wild things, giant insects on a giant peach, bears that live in trees and green eggs. Even before cartoons brought some of my favorite stories to life, I had imagined life with my own big red dog or a curious monkey. Sesame Street and Superfriends could entertain, but my pile of books by my bed unlocked my imagination into the world of childhood bedtime dreams.

Helping place dreams in the heart of every child and diplomas in the hands of our Silicon Valley youth are not two separate missions for RPM. The joy that comes from learning to read is as important and necessary as the knowledge that comes from books. Joy inspires kids to dream. Dreams inspire youth to graduate!

What story unleashed your imagination to dream? Go to our facebook page and let us know!

Here’s the link for more information about our fall Bookshelf in Every Home projects.

Bookshelf in Every Home Projects

Rob — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:52:43 +0000

Join us for one of our upcoming “Bookshelf in Every Home” Literacy projects. We need your help at the following projects:

Sunday, Sept. 26
1:30-4:30 pm
THEUERKAUF Elementary
1625 San Luis Avenue, Mountain View

Castro Elementary Bookshelf in Every Home Project

Saturday, Oct, 2*
9:30am-12:30 pm
MONTA LOMA Elementary
460 Thompson Avenue, Mountain View

*This Oct. 2 Project is totally TEEN LED! Calling all youth!
[We also have room for “grown-ups” who can help
staff the various activities under the direction of our
awesome teens in the community!]

WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING:
There’s a range of roles at each Bookshelf Event…reading to kids, playing games, sorting books for kids to select, helping families with bookshelf decoration, etc. [We’ll need your flexibility about what role you play, but feel free to let us know any special talents or experience you have that may be useful. For example, we NEED SPANISH speakers…if you are bilingual, please let us know, and spread the word to any bilingual friends].

HOW TO PROCEED:
Please arrive at the start time above and report to the Volunteer Registration Table [Look for a green banner]. You’ll sign a waiver upon your arrival and receive info about which invaluable role you’ll play. [Oh, and if you have any gently used books to contribute for Pre-K or Kinder age kids, bring them along!]
Please RSVP by email to
christy@rpmovement.org

Include:
- name of each volunteer
- indicate Adult or Youth (If youth, include grade—elementary students and above only please—
Kinder to 5th grade volunteers must have adult supervision).

See you there!

Día del Niño & Día del Libro Celebration!

Rob — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:02:47 +0000

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon (4/25), Castro Elementary, Open Door Church (Mountain View) and Reach Potential Movement celebrated Día del Niño (Day of the Child), a holiday celebrated around the world, especially in Latin countries and a newer holiday: Día del Libro (World Book Day).

Approximately 1000 kids, youth and adults enjoyed a ”Reading Brings You the World” Carnival, free books, Castro’s Folkloric Dancers, amazing food, music, piñatas, and the Stanford Mariachi Band! The literacy carnival promoted the joy and importance of reading within a Latino cultural celebration.

Thank you to all the Castro Elementary parents, Open Door Church members and Reach Potential volunteers for all your hard work and preparation. It appears that our collaborative effort will turn into a much anticipated annual celebration in Mountain View!

Literacy festival

Reading Volunteers Needed!

Rob — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 23:36:38 +0000

“30 hours of tutoring helps the typical student advance one grade level in their reading… what a difference you can make!” (readingpartners.org)

San Miguel Elementary in Sunnyvale is looking for members in our community who can devote ONE HOUR a week to assist teachers in improving the early literacy skills of 1st grade students who are a year behind in their ability to begin reading. Reading volunteers will work with a small group of children (5-6) and will receive step by step lesson plans, training and support from a teacher each week.

Help a child read!
·     No experience necessary
·     Tues, Weds & Thurs mornings – 8:15-9:15 or 9-10am
·     Weekly commitment through May preferable
·     Join a team environment that’s impacting kids

For specific questions and more information, please email
Rob Schulze at our CONTACT US PAGE. Thank you!

The Gift of Time

Rob — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:17:25 +0000

A few days ago I (Rob) was given a huge gift by three principals of three Title One (over 50% low income students) elementary schools in Northern California. Despite the challenges they each experience in educating more students with limited resources, each principal gave me the costly gift of their time which allowed me to better understand the strengths and needs of our California public schools.

Two of the principals lead schools in Woodland (near Sacramento) where the school district has recently made the difficult choice to close two of their ten elementary schools due to state budget cuts. The impact on the remaining schools is larger classroom sizes— from 20 to 32 students per classroom at the 1^st through 3^rd grade levels. The challenge and pinch they feel is adding so many students and yet having to decrease their resource staff numbers this past year. No longer can they call upon an adequate number of specialists and aids that can provide additional support to their teachers and students.

One principal shared his concern is not only for his school but also for the youth in his community. He sees his students and older students hanging out after school with not a lot to do. He and others see a growing gang problem in Woodland, partly because there are not enough affordable and constructive activities for kids and youth to pursue when they are not in class. He highlighted a couple of churches have recently provided some free activities but they’re only once or twice a week. His dream? “Youth intramural leagues around town,” he said with enthusiasm.

When asked what their greatest “felt need” was, they each had a similar response. Without hesitation, one principal replied, “The gift of time. These kids need more adults, whether they are paid or volunteers, to give these kids the gift of their time.”

Our early literacy projects and classroom adoption programs are a direct result from listening to principals and teachers. They exist to provide children with needed resources and attention from caring youth and adults. RPM hosted our second Bookshelf in Every Home early literacy project in Mountain View yesterday. Abundant Life Christian Fellowship members turned out in force and brought with them nine students from Eastside Prep in East Palo Alto. Watching these youth laugh and pour into the 1^st graders from Castro Elementary along with adults of all ages was a beautiful picture of the “gift of time” at work.

To all our amazing friends who have volunteered or given to Reach Potential Movement this year— we want you to know how thankful we are for each of you this Thanksgiving! Thank you for giving kids and youth your most costly gift—your gift of time. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

“Bookshelf in Every Home” Project

Rob — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:42:41 +0000

“Bookshelf in Every Home” Project Launch!

Castro Elementary Bookshelf in Every Home Project

As we have listened to educators in local low income schools, the need we have heard most dramatically is literacy… especially early literacy efforts to empower parents before their children fall one to two grades behind in reading. RPM’s response is our “Bookshelf in Every Home” Project, in which low income kindergarten and first grade families in Mountain View will:

decorate a bookshelf with their child to take home as his/her own

select books for a home book collection to support reading at home

participate in a Parent Workshop on how to help their child read, even if they don’t read (or read English) themselves.

develop parent attitudes and expectations for the importance of supporting reading at home

We are excited about the community support that is enabling us to launch this project. We partnered with Open Door Church to hold our first Bookshelf Event for 40 kindergarten families in October, and we’re partnering with Abundant Life Christian Fellowship to equip 40 first grade families November 22nd. Our Bookshelf in Every Home project is an example of one of the simple, scalable and sustainable ways we’re responding to educators to empower people to reach their potential. Let us know if you would be interested in connecting a community group you’re a part of (work, Rotary, church, etc.) with a low income school in or near your community. We would love to talk!

If you would like to provide a child with a bookshelf, books and school supplies while providing their parent(s) a parent education workshop, 100% of your donation will go to our project through our on-line donation partner: RPM Bookshelf in Every Home at Razoo.com