one 5th or 6th grade class in every disadvantaged public school in
America? Could we make this happen yearly, inviting other top
university alums to join us? If the alums shared their stories (1 hr.
to start) with the gifted kids of these schools that could make a
difference? A number of grads in the past three years have done this
with me at HJ Kaiser Elementary in Oakland. We talk about the
importance of doing your home work, share stories, emphasize positive
messages as if they were our children, answer questions. The teachers
tell us that 5-7 kids in these classes of approx. 20 noticeably start
doing their home work better each time we visit -- that the improved
behavior sticks for the remainder of the year. If we are going to do
something, direct dialog with the children will get us the greatest
return for the lowest cost. If 1 hour of your volunteer time could
benefit five children, would that trade be worth it to you?
What do you think? These kids will in turn take their dreams home and
infect the adults with the goal that attending top colleges and
graduate programs is within reach for their households.
Perry