Reading buddies

The chaos of the playground is a world away from the quiet industry of a busy office, but thanks to an innovative literacy program, inner-city workers and the students of Crown Street Public School are discovering how much they have to offer each other.

Standing high and impressive above a busy thoroughfare, Crown Street Public School, in Sydney’s Surry Hills, is the very model of a forbidding Victorian institution. Built in the days of rote learning and the strap, the campus reflects the upstanding austerity of the time. But inside the heavy doors, things could not be more different. Here, the bustle of an industrious, dynamic school is infused with warmth – a quality that is evident throughout the classrooms. Children’s artworks decorate every surface, even hanging from ceilings, and words of encouragement are combined with multilingual signs placed around the entrance. Crown Street Public immediately feels like a nice place to be.

The welcoming atmosphere extends into the staffroom, where a feast awaits. Homemade cakes, platters of sandwiches, pots of tea and cups of coffee cover the table. Principal Valerie Martin and her staff resist temptation as they wait for the guests to arrive. The guests of honour are the volunteer ‘reading buddies’ from Genworth Financial, and Robyn Collins and Dr Danielle Tracey from Learning Links, the charity behind Reading for Life – the program that brought them all together (see ‘Life lessons’, page 203 of the November 06 issue of Notebook: magazine).

Reading for Life is a support program designed to assist primary school children struggling with reading skills. There are other literary recovery programs currently in use in schools, but nothing quite like this. Where the Learning Links system differs is in its commitment to bringing community and business volunteers right into the classroom. As well as raising funds and creating reading materials, Reading for Life provides help and support in the form of a one-on-one, long-term reading buddy for each child.

“It’s about relationships,” explains Val, “The buddies bring a wonderful enthusiasm with them, and approach their role with such a positive attitude it changes the way the children feel about reading and learning. Funding alone just couldn’t achieve the same result. It’s definitely about generosity, but generosity of a very personal kind.”

Mylie Hagan, corporate social responsibility manager for Genworth Financial, drove the company’s involvement with the Reading for Life program. “We were looking for a way for the company to give something back to the community,” explains Mylie. “It needed to be something local, something very concrete and something that gave our staff an opportunity to be directly involved.” With a daughter just starting kindergarten, Mylie was aware of the need for community support within our schools, and the benefits of offering extra help to those children who are struggling. “Learning is about more than just lessons and milestones,” she says. "School has a huge impact on all aspects of a child’s life; if we can help make that effect a positive one, then we’ve done a very good thing.”

Many parents are rightly concerned about the steady encroachment of corporate funds into the classroom, and even the curriculum. There is, however, a world of difference between the marketing-based initiatives regarded with great suspicion and the program offered here. All of the corporate entities that provide reading buddies to primary schools participating in the Reading for Life program do so under the auspices of Learning Links – a well-respected expert on children’s educational needs. Taking part in the program requires a long-term commitment from management and a high level of personal involvement from the volunteers. Each volunteer must complete the training program developed by Learning Links before becoming a buddy, and it is vital that volunteers make a genuine undertaking to stay involved for the length of the program.

 In our current working culture, corporate social responsibility is a growing field. There is a recognition that companies have a duty of care to both their employees and the community in which they dwell. This coincides with an acknowledgement that recruiting and keeping staff in a tight labour market requires more than just financial benefits. “There’s definitely a drive for companies to make space for their employees to add meaning to their working lives. Creating opportunities for that to happen during working hours is a great way for staff to volunteer in the community,” says Mylie.

For buddies Caterina Embersic, Sally Bonza and Michelle Dunn, taking part in Reading for Life is a way to reconnect with a part of society that is easy, as a busy working woman, to lose touch with. “I hadn’t been in a school since I graduated,” explains Caterina, “until I volunteered to be a buddy.” Her role as learning and development officer for Genworth is busy and demanding,  but Caterina is convinced the time devoted to her buddy is well spent. “It’s definitely satisfying on lots of levels,” says Caterina. “The best part of it is seeing how much it means to Kayla.  She’s always excited to see me and it’s amazing to watch her improvement, and then realise I’ve played a real part in it.”

Colleague and marketing and communication coordinator Michelle Dunn is equally devoted to her role as a buddy. “Work is definitely important to me,” explains Michelle, “but being a buddy is satisfying in a totally different way. At first you feel good because you know you’re doing something good, but once you build a relationship with your buddy, it becomes personal and their development really matters to you.” Like her colleagues, Sally Bonza had little to do with young children before her involvement with Reading for Life. “I was really excited about taking part,” Sally explains. “I thought it looked like a genuinely good thing to do and the training was thorough and interesting.” Again, it was working one-on-one with her buddy that had the real impact. “Before we got to the classroom, the kids were just part of the program,” remembers Sally. “Once you are paired up, you quickly realise they are the whole point – that your buddy’s own progress is what really matters.”

While volunteers work with their buddy’s teacher to ensure the program is individually tailored and appropriate, Val Martin has no doubt the links built between the children and their older buddies is the real magic of the program. “We do run other excellent programs, such as Reading Recovery,” says Val. “With this one, the special relationship the tutor develops with the individual student is of real benefit.” As the relationships grow, so does the amount of commitment and the generosity of those involved. “The materials provided by Learning Links are excellent, and the generosity shown by Genworth Financial has been amazing,” adds Val. “The extras they provide, which have included a party with a magician, a reptile display and extra reading books beautifully wrapped as gifts, all mean so much to the children and to the skills and confidence they develop.”

The school staff wholeheartedly agree, and the feedback from teachers involved in Reading for Life has been consistently positive. “The way we see it is this program is helping the school to achieve the improvements,” explains Val, “and we’re grateful for their [Genworth Financial’s] involvement.”

The final word comes from the students themselves. While shy in the way many students are during their early years at school, the youngsters who take part in Reading for Life are enthusiastic about its benefits. “I like the stickers,” offers Tyler Albert, “they’re the best.” He turns to run to assembly then pauses for a moment before adding: “And my buddy, she’s cool too.”

United in purpose
Corporate social responsibility and giving are rapidly increasing aspects of charity work. While many large companies run internal programs to give back to the community, for smaller companies this can be logistically difficult. This is where charities such as United Way step in.

As well as running specific charities, United Way (www.unitedway.asn.au) has designed systems that assist companies to volunteer and to ensure they give in the most effective way. Programs run by United Way include a program at Glebe School Childcare Centre in Sydney, designed to provide role models, after-school care and nutritious meals to local children from economically disadvantaged families. United Way also helps organise volunteer days for employees of its corporate partners to spend their lunchbreaks helping feed the homeless. Staff from Zurich Financial recently spent their lunchbreaks making fleece blankets to be distributed during winter.

Just Enough Faith (www.justenoughfaith.org), a non-religious organisation that supports and feeds the homeless, is another initiative supported by United Way.

Taking part
To find other volunteer opportunities, visit Go Volunteer at www.govolunteer.com.au.

 

Words: Francesca Newby. Photography: Sam McAdam. Hair & make-up: Jay Jay Rauwenhoff.