In 2023, New Haven Reads was chosen as the Lead Literacy organization as part of the Mayor’s Tutoring Initiative (NHTI). The NHTI mission is to empower every student to reach their full potential in reading and math. In this citywide effort, New Haven Reads supports 10 afterschool organizations to help them learn a version of our tutoring program that they may teach their own students. Literacy Instructors visit and support all of these partners as they implement these programs. The NHTI now reaches over 600 students every week! The organizations using the literacy tutoring model based on NHR are LEAP, Boys and Girls Club, IRIS, Inspired Communities, Upon This Rock, and NHR. Four programs participate in the infusion model which is an adapted group learning model; Auntie Rose Day Care and Preschool, Solar Youth, and CPEN!
Keriany has been a volunteer at Science Park, Willow and Bristol street for 7 months. She discovered and started this journey with New Haven Reads as a volunteer at our Science Park location in the fall of 2021. “As I continued to provide my services at New Haven Reads, I immediately knew that I wanted to continue helping children read,” says Keriany. As a result, she pursued an internship for the Spring 2022 semester.
Following this transition into an internship, Keriany is now working with students at Willow and Bristol street as well. “Being at Willow has given me the opportunity to help English as Second Language learners. This is a special moment because I was a Dual Language Learner during my childhood,” she says. “Now I am able to help translate conversations between parents and directors on sites and think outside the box to create engaging sessions to practice comprehension or morphology. But the most fulfilling part is to help encourage our children to become future leaders,” Keriany explains.
When asked what keeps her coming back, she responded with, “A sense of purpose is what intrigues me to assist in serving the community at New Haven Reads. My soul is filled with joy to see children improve in their speech, while having fun. That is the reason why my heart’s desire is to do this every day.”
Her “all time favorite book as a child” was If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff. Currently her favorite book is Still Me by Jojo Moyes, which is a part of a trilogy that she finds fascinating.
Written by: Isaiah Cunningham, NHR Tutor and intern.
Albertus Magnus College and New Haven Reads have combined forces for the betterment of younger students who seek improvement in their reading skills as well as to benefit Albertus students in their pursuit of and preparation for the workforce.
Albertus Magnus College and New Haven Reads have created a partnership that allows college students to intern in order to fulfill graduation requirements, as well as to gain experiences that will be very useful in the future. Tutor interns at New Haven Reads offer one-on-one reading instruction for students ages 6-18 to improve their reading skills. Student Interns find it rewarding to watch and support younger students to enhance their reading skills before your eyes. The internship also benefits the intern because it improves their social skills, leadership skills, and other skills to prepare them for the workforce after college.
“New Haven Reads has been an incredible experience,” says Isaiah Cunningham, a New Haven Reads tutor and intern who was recently hired. “I’m incredibly appreciative of this chance to assist younger learners who wish to improve their reading abilities,” he adds.
Isaiah sorting books at our Book Bank
Maryann Reid, the Financial Aid Operations Assistant at Albertus Magnus College, assists students who are looking for work study/internship opportunities. “When I present the opportunity the students are excited to tutor and work with younger students in the community,” explains Reid.
The Outreach Director at New Haven Reads, Fernanda Franco, who manages the interns from Albertus Magnus College values the goal of this partnership. “I love the idea of providing a safe place for students to grow into their best professional selves,” says Fernanda Franco. “New Haven Reads and Albertus Magnus partner in the hopes that we will provide just that,” explains Franco.
Please speak with your advisor if you are an Albertus Magnus student interested in becoming a tutor for the New Haven Reads organization and are enthusiastic about the concept of spreading the joy and power of reading every day as well as empowering aspiring readers to master the literacy skills needed to thrive in school and life.
Find out more about becoming a tutor by visiting the link below:
Name: Sebastian Ward Hometown: New Haven, CT College and Major: Yale University, Undecided Tutor Site: Bristol Street Clubs: Chess, Arts and Crafts (Helper), Nature and Science (Helper) Favorite Childhood Book: The Percy Jackson Series
Working with students at New Haven Reads feels so surreal to me. It feels like I was just a student here; being shy around a new tutor or feeling a little embarrassed each time I struggled with a new page of Explode the Code. No longer the student and now being the teacher I used to look up to whenever I needed help feels strange, but in a good way. It is now my responsibility to give help to the students when they need it, foster a safe and encouraging learning environment, and most importantly, connect with the students I work with to make sure they learn and grow. Fulfilling these duties is always a heartwarming experience each time I am in a session- whether as a tutor, club leader, or even club helper.
This summer I have had so many good experiences with different students that I had trouble picking one to talk about. I had great conversations with students while making slime as a helper for the Arts and Crafts club. I also had so much fun playing a chess game on kahoot and getting a summary of the 9th and 10th Diary of a Wimpy Kid books so I could follow along while my student read the 11th one during reading time was an experience I definitely needed (I doubt I’ll ever reach an age where I am uninterested by the adventures of the Heffley family!). However, the most poignant experience I’ve had this summer was during an online tutoring session. Coming home after a day at camp where you run around and play to having to do a tutoring session for reading can seem not-too-appealing at first (I’ve been there). That was what was going on with my student, so I thought that starting the session with a fun activity would be beneficial. We opened with a word scramble, where we both competed to create as many words as we could within 1 minute with seven random letters. The student really enjoyed it, continued working diligently throughout the session, and even requested that we did it during choice time.
My summer at New Haven Reads so far has been an encouraging and fun learning environment for my students. My site staff and fellow interns have been extremely kind, genuine, and supportive to me throughout my time here. I have believed in the mission of New Haven Reads since I was a student there, and my time as an intern has only strengthened my resolve to assist in seeing it through.
A special thank you to First Niagara Foundation in partnership with KeyBank for giving me this amazing opportunity.
In the 2020 Summer Lecture Series, New Haven Reads invited participants from various disciplines, including sociology, linguistics, architecture, and early childhood education. These guest speakers brought numerous different perspectives and research on language, learning, and literacy. You can explore these past lectures on our website. The 2020 series explored the myriad of factors that impact educational access and success, with the goal of enriching our collective understanding of critical and intersectional issues in education and literacy.
