A partnership between Seniors in Service and the City of Tampa will bring mentors and tutors to students in need at B.T. Washington Elementary School.
Teachers and students at B.T. Washington Elementary School will soon be receiving a helping hand from volunteer seniors as part of a new initiative from the City of Tampa. This mentorship program will sponsor six seniors, who serve as tutors and mentors to vulnerable students, to volunteer 30 hours per week in different classrooms at the elementary school.
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These senior mentors will provide consistent one-on-one and small group tutoring for students in select classrooms. Volunteers can spend time with students, offer them advice and a listening ear, and help them learn good study habits as they progress over the school year. Each volunteer will be selected based on their experience with early education and their ability to provide unconditional love and support for the classroom.
The initiative is aimed to help students in need succeed in and out of the classroom after two years of education disruptions due to COVID-19. Mayor Jane Castor noted:
“We know students have faced significant learning challenges after two years of disrupted education due to the pandemic. Having classroom companions here at B.T. Washington will provide extra support to kids and educators with one-on-one tutoring and mentoring. The relationships they form here will make a lasting positive impact for years to come.”
Many students are struggling to catch up after school closures during 2020, and nationwide changes in educational protocol trickling into 2022. The program stems from a concern for elementary students especially, and a hope that they can recover more quickly with the help of Seniors in Service.
“We applaud the City of Tampa Mayor’s Office for funding this initiative and investing in the success of students at B.T. Washington Elementary,” said Robin Ingles, CEO of Seniors in Service. “We’ve seen first-hand how one-on-one attention from a caring adult can help vulnerable students develop confidence and increase their motivation to learn. They are a consistent, trusted, adult the students can rely on for support.”
The funding provided by the City of Tampa will include a stipend of $3.00 per hour for the classroom companions, as well as mileage to and from B.T. Washington Elementary; a meal allowance while volunteering; and 12 trainings throughout the year that include best practices to teach literacy, social-emotional learning and how to use modern classroom technology.
The Castor’s Classroom Companions program is part of a larger Seniors in Service foster grandparent program that helps connect seniors to children in need throughout Pinellas and Hillsborough County. These senior volunteer work in grades Pre-K to 3rd grade to help students develop skills in and outside the classroom and help them start on a pathway for a lifetime of learning.
