Starting children's school day with RSVP volunteers
Abstract
Volunteers with the RSVP of North Central, Iowa give children a jump-start on their day by talking, listening, and engaging them in meaningful conversation before school begins. The "Breakfast Buddies" program evolved out of the identified needs of at-risk youth attending school breakfast. Trained in topics such as listening skills, motivational techniques, and student resiliency issues, baby boomer volunteers help students get focused on the coming academic day.Issue
At-risk students come from four surrounding counties outside of the RSVP service area. These students may have poor social skill development, behavioral problems, and/or poor academic performance.Action
Students are identified by school administration and teachers based on socioeconomic and other risk factors related to behavior and academic performance.
RSVP "Breakfast Buddies" engage the students in meaningful one-on-one conversation, using techniques that build self-esteem and active listening skills.
Volunteers are also trained in responding to concerns and questions; i.e., they know where to channel information that needs to be passed on — either to school counselors or administrators.
The volunteers are not "supervisors" but are friends or "Breakfast Buddies."
Context
RSVP of North Central Iowa serves four counties in northern Iowa.
Educational professionals consider 50 percent of the students attending the school breakfast at-risk for poor social skill development, behavioral problems, and academic performance. This is due in part to the fact that in the surrounding counties of the RSVP service area, 20 percent of the households are headed by a single parent and 9.5 percent of these children live in poverty.
Outcome
RSVP measures two outcomes of the Breakfast Buddies program: improved attitude and behavior and improved academic performance.
Outcomes reported by Big Brothers, Big Sisters indicate that youth who enter into a mentoring relationship with a caring adult feel more competent about doing school work and show modest gains in their grade point average.
Evidence
The Mentoring Assessment Survey, provided by RSVP and completed by the school counselor, showed 95 percent of the school-identified students that were mentored demonstrated improved attitudes, as well as improved behaviors exhibited over the course of the 2006-2007 academic year.
In the program, 100 percent of the school-identified students mentored showed progress in academic performance.
Posted On
November 27, 2001For More Information