Los Ayudantes ("The Helpers") tutors
and mentors Latino students in the classrooms of the Redwood City public
schools in order to develop and strengthen their English language
proficiency and U.S. cultural literacy.
We
value these students as members of our communities, and we believe that
English language proficiency and U.S. cultural literacy are necessary
for them to reach their highest potential.Begun in 2002 as a community service offered
by concerned Silicon Valley citizens, we have now become our own
private organization composed of
volunteer tutors,
Bay Area educators and
local professionals--in
partnership with other non-profit tutoring organizations, notably
Citizen Schools California, as well as
Cañada College (our local California community college) and the public schools of Redwood City--including
McKinley Middle School and
Fair Oaks Elementary School.
In direct consultation and partnership with school teachers and administrators, we seek to help those
Latino students
in our community, aged 9 through 13, for whom English is not their
primary language--both during school hours as part of the regular
curriculum and after school in partnership with after-school programs.
Using carefully chosen (age-level and skill-level appropriate) novels,
short stories, poetry and narrative non-fiction, as well as theatrical
scenes, monologues and plays, we provide our students with fun and
engaging forums (via our
Book Club,
Drama Club and
Poetry Club
programs) in which to strengthen their English language proficiency. In
small groups of 2 - 4, our students read, write, discuss and even
perform English language texts.
It is an amazing thing to watch our
students' young minds engage with a compelling story. Their English
language skills improve, but more generally their capacity to draw
inferences and to make convincing arguments matures as well. And with
that they gain not only the skills but the confidence necessary to
succeed here in the United States.
We are always looking for more
tutors
to help us in this very important work. Please contact our Program
Director, Jamie McElroy, at jmcelroy.losayudantes@gmail.com or
650-793-3221 if you would like to join our dedicated team of volunteers.
If you would like become a
donor and help cover the costs of our operating expenses, you may do so securely via Credit Card
here. Or you may contact our Program Director as above.
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