America Reads:

Do you have work study? Do you like working with kids? Do you want to be part of a work study job on campus that has the ability to make an impact on the surrounding Springfield community? Would you like to build your own work schedule? If you answered yes to any of these questions, America Reads is the program for you!

America Reads is a service program based in local public schools that focuses on increasing the learning of the children enrolled through tutoring and mentoring from students like you and me.

“In Springfield public schools, there are typically large class sizes and very limited resources. Our program works to support both the teachers and the students of these schools by placing more people in the classroom to provide more one-on-one and small group attention, despite the lack of resources,” said Carter McClintock, the Community Outreach Specialist in the Center for Civic Engagement here on campus.

America Reads is supportive of its student tutors as it searches out perfect matches for schools and classrooms, making sure to fit the tutors specific availabilities and strengths. Each tutor receives a specific training prior to being placed in a classroom and once the experience has begun, the tutor is able to find even more support from the different offices and teachers of his or her school. The America Reads Program is well-known and well-respected throughout the community.

Right now, Western New England and the Center for Civic Engagement have a group of 40+ students tutoring on 12+ different sites. The program is for the students, run by the students. It boasts two inspiring, responsible student coordinators who are unbelievably dedicated to the program’s progress and well-being.

The two student coordinators, Meghan Cobane and Sam Cortes, will be attending a four day conference called Impact in Valparaiso, Indiana to meet other coordinators from all over the country and share what our program is about.

“At this workshop, we’re going to be presenting about the workings of our program. This conference will give us the chance to see other programs and get feedback about ours, as well. It’s substantial to prolong and better our program,” said coordinator Sam Cortes.

The program is a great opportunity to get involved in the community surrounding Western New England while earning a work study award.

“The program provides a great learning opportunity and hands-on experience outside of the traditional Western New England classroom. It gives tutors professional experience and helps them grow in a way that they wouldn’t necessarily grow in a classroom,” said Cortes. 

“The program is [also] a great leadership opportunity. It brings our students into the Springfield community and outside of their comfort zone here on campus,” added coordinator Meghan Cobane.

The America Reads program not only provides mentoring opportunities, but it also creates a chance for the students from campus to meet with each other every month to connect through their varying experiences. 

“Often during our reflection sessions, tutors will come in and say how awesome they feel when they walk into a classroom and see their students get excited,” said Cobane.

The program is progressing at an excellent rate and with the help of the student coordinators, it will continue to progress.

“Our goal is to provide students with a great experience, but also to allow children of the community to obtain the presence of role models,” said Cortes.

Students interested in applying to the America Reads Program should visit the Center for Civic Engagement on the second floor of the campus center for more information.