Susan Burlingame has been tutoring at the Dixwell site for about one year. She started in early 2020, right after the COVID-19 pandemic hit and New Haven Reads had transitioned to a distance learning format. Susan began tutoring because she wanted to help increase students’ reading skills while also sharing some of her favorite books. When asked what keeps her coming back, she responded with, “All of the wonderful, dedicated staff at New Haven Reads and of course the students! It’s so wonderful connecting with them each week.” Susan described a fun experience she had with her first student she tutored. During choice time, they would draw pictures together. They would take turns choosing a subject matter, then draw pictures to show each other once they were done.
A book that “completely carried [her] away” when she was younger was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. One of her current favorites is The Color of Water by James McBride.
Shirley Cavanagh has been tutoring at the Bristol site for almost five years. As a librarian at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), she enjoyed helping students utilize resources for their undergraduate papers and graduate theses. She described herself as being almost a “college tutor.” She is currently a co-president of the Hamden Woman’s Club, a non-profit organization that provides a number of different volunteer services.
After retiring in 2016, Shirley discovered New Haven Reads. She wanted to be involved in tutoring younger students who may be struggling or not particularly fond of reading. When asked what keeps her coming back to New Haven Reads, she responded, “Many things… I think the staff is exceptional. Especially in the past year and a half I’ve seen their dedication and commitment to continuing the program and continuing to work with students and their parents.”
One of Shirley’s all time favorite books is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and as a child it was the Anne of Green Gables series by Maud Montgomery. She also mentioned that when she used to babysit, she read Where the Wild Things Are multiple times and enjoyed doing so.
Shirley described a memorable and rewarding experience she recently had during a Zoom session. Her and the student were reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid, typically taking turns every other page. Until one day the student who was once somewhat reluctant to read said, “I want to read.”
Kristy White started tutoring at the Science Park site in May of 2021. She is a high school girl’s tennis coach, and describes herself as a huge health and wellness geek. She discovered New Haven Reads when a friend of hers – a NHR tutor – forwarded her an email about summer internships that she thought Kristy’s teenager would be interested in. As she did a bit more research into the organization, Kristy was inspired to explore new volunteer opportunities. When asked what keeps her coming back to NHR she responded with, “No question, the kids keep me coming back. And I might secretly enjoy reading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books along with my students.” (Don’t we all!) Kristy also stated, “What I love most about volunteering at NHR, is the mentor-like relationship. I am not their mom or teacher – just another trusted adult who shows up for them.”
Kristy’s favorite books as a child were all of the Beverly Cleary, Nancy Drew, and Little House on the Prairie books. One of her all time favorites is Little Women.
Kristy shared an honest experience she had with a high school student of hers. He was reading different history pieces each week and sometimes wouldn’t know what a word meant. Kristy was stumped with trying to define it, so she took to Google. She emphasized that she will never pretend to have all answers, and that she is always learning too.
Thank you to the Arts Council of Greater New Haven and Julia Rosado for the article about how NHR was able to pivot to distance learning in March 2020 and welcome back students in-person this summer!
Every summer New Haven Reads has amazing fellows from different universities and colleges join our team. This year we are lucky to have three fellows that joined us from Harvard University, University of New Haven, and YALE College. Our fellows help with tutoring, summer clubs, and special projects. Help us welcome our 2021 fellows by learning about them below!
Josh is currently a rising sophomore at Harvard University originally from Branford, CT. At school, he is studying Physics and Mathematics with a language citation in Spanish. As a child, his favorite book was “The Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster.
Melina is originally from West Haven, Connecticut. She is a sophomore at Yale College, where she studies comparative literature and psychology. Growing up, she loved reading the Magic Tree House series.
Faith is from West Haven, Connecticut and attending the University of New Haven. She is studying Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Investigative Services. As a child, her favorite books were The Magic Treehouse series. She is currently enjoying the memoir by the former First Lady, Michelle Obama, called Becoming.
On Friday, May 21st and Saturday. May 22nd New Haven Reads hosted our 2021 Summer Teacher Open House at our community book bank. We had 15 teachers attend throughout the day Friday and 21 on Saturday. The teachers were able to RSVP ahead of time and select a time slot that worked best for them. We had an amazing turn out and distributed 1,063 books! Our Book Bank Director Victoria said she was “so happy we had a really good turn out. I hope we have more teachers come in in the future.” Thank you to all the teachers that attended and ordered books. We will see you at the next open house!
If you missed our Open House and would like to order books for your classroom click here.
Lynda Paul has been volunteering at Bristol Street for over four months. In December of 2020 she was adamant about finding volunteer work to make a difference in others’ lives. She has had a lifelong passion for reading and language. “For me, reading has been a personal love since my earliest memories.” She would read at any moment during the day. Reading is a social passion for her because it offers so much. “I believe that literacy is a skill that gives its learner literally endless possibilities in the world.” What keeps her coming back is her student and seeing the growth. She enjoys learning from the staff as well. Not only is her student learning, but she is learning as well.
Our volunteers continue to be the heart and soul of New Haven Reads. NHR tutors currently tutor a total of 454 hours with 279 students each week! Their impact is immeasurable. Enjoy this video of students expressing how much their tutors mean to them. Their smiles speak volumes!
