Volunteering to Make a Difference

by Talya Hyman

Assisting students on paths towards academic success is just the beginning of how Jewish Coalition for Literacy (JCL) reading partners foster relationships with students in New Haven public schools. Through one-on-one reading-based learning and discussion, students’ minds expand as they are instilled with a newfound sense of confidence in their abilities.

The Christopher Columbus Family Academy (CCFA)-- a pre-K through eighth grade school in the Fair Haven neighborhood of New Haven, which utilizes a dual language curriculum-- is one such school where JCL volunteers meet once a week with students for further learning opportunities. Roy Araujo, the principal of the Academy, explained that the JCL partners facilitate learning as part of an enrichment program for about 40 students in kindergarten through fifth grade. These learning sessions promote academic rigor, and encourage the more advanced learners to actualize their potential.

Each student shares topics and areas of interest to their JCL reading partner, who then selects books to read and discuss. The pair also have the opportunity to become engaged in more hands-on learning by playing musical instruments or sharing photos and PowerPoint presentations of recent travel experiences. Sometimes the pair even learns together for multiple years, further building a strong relationship through learning from, and about one another.

There are currently 170 dedicated JCL reading partners working with students in schools throughout New Haven, yet there are always more students with whom to learn, more relationships to build. With this in mind, JCL will be hosting an Orientation and Information Session on Tuesday, September 24 at 9:30 am in the Beckerman Lender Jewish Community Building at 360 Amity Road in Woodbridge. New and returning reading partners are encouraged to attend. Roy Araujo from CCFA is set to be the keynote speaker at the event, where he will share the influence and impact the JCL presence has made in the school he heads.

JCL is a project of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven.