For Jessica, being a tutor is nothing new, as she previously volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club of her hometown in Kentucky. While there, Jessica read to the kids using materials that she borrowed from her mom, who was a reading teacher and always instilled in her the importance of education.
After learning about the District of Columbia’s low high school graduation rate, Jessica decided to look for programs in which she could give a hand to improve the situation. That is how she came across FLOC. “There are too many children in DC who don’t get the educational opportunities or support they deserve; FLOC has a good program for addressing this problem and I’d like to help contribute,” Jessica said.
Since Jessica started volunteering in the Saturday Afternoon Reading Program in early October, she has been helping Christina – a “very sweet and fun” girl who “works hard in the lessons and really likes to draw.” Every Saturday, Jessica tutors Christina for two hours to help improve her reading skills.
When asked to share a memorable experience she has had thus far while tutoring, Jessica said she felt very proud “when Christina passed the first test and said that it was easy.” For Jessica, having a curriculum to follow has been very helpful as it “gives more structure.” Jessica added that she is “really impressed with FLOC and the help they provide to the kids and I am glad to be a part of it.”
Another attribute that makes tutoring at FLOC a unique experience for Jessica is seeing how engaged FLOC parents are. After the tutoring session is done, Jessica occasionally talks with Christina’s parents about how the lesson went. Jessica really values chatting with Christina’s parents as she considers that the parent involvement plays an important role in determining a student’s success.
At FLOC we are very happy to have Jessica with us this school year. We thank all of the tutors that, like Jessica, invest their time and dedication to help us make a difference in the lives of our students.
(Lisvette García is the Bilingual Recruitment and Outreach Associate at FLOC).
