TABbing

TABbing

Tutors Honored county-wide!
You, as a whole group of tutors, have been chosen as the volunteer representing the north county library branches at the Orange County Ninth Annual Volunteer Recognition. Read what has been said in your honor:

The La Habra Branch Library began an after-school homework help program in spring 2003 at the urging of a junior in high school who volunteered with the Families for Literacy program. She realized that we had literacy programs for preschoolers and adults, but nothing for our elementary school students. Since our first beginnings, the program has grown with over 30 tutors helping over 40 students weekly. A number of our high school tutors have volunteered with this program since Fall 2003 or have taken the additional responsibility of acting as the teen supervisor and monitoring the tutors and students. We would like to recognize this group for serving as mentors and role models and helping an underserved and at-risk population of children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Our teens have heart. They find time out of their incredibly busy schedules in order to work with squirmy students who sometimes don’t welcome their help. Patience is one of the most difficult aspects – and one of the most important gifts they impart to their students. Our teens have become leaders, stretching their skills, managing stressful situations, adapting and creating solutions. They have learned to work with challenging students and parents and through it all remain focused and concerned for the well-being and success of the youngsters they tutor. Each day the Homework Help Center is managed by a Team Captain who sets up the room, matches students with tutors, watches for the shy child or the overwhelmed tutor, and makes sure everyone has what they need to accomplish their job. These individuals in particular have stretched their wings and come out flying.

Our young children now have a safe place where they can receive help from trained and dedicated high school students. We have had children in tears over math one day who come in the next telling us their successes—-one boy boasting about the “A” he received on his math test and one girl saying confidently “I was able to do that hard part of the homework really fast later”. One parent has told us that her daughter tested far below grade level in math at the end of one semester, and above grade level after a semester of our homework assistance. Through their vision and dedication, these teens have met a need in our community. We at the La Habra Library are particularly inspired and grateful.