Every SEAL volunteer knows the Communities In Schools (CIS) coordinators as the ringleaders and backbones of Reading Buddies and SmartKids. But, the impact of CIS coordinators goes far beyond the after school programs, and sometimes it is difficult for volunteers to grasp the importance and the scale of the work the coordinators do to help … Continue reading Spotlight on CIS Coordinator Meredith Evett
Blog
Why SEAL?
“I have been through so much with my kid.” The friend I was talking to looked taken aback. “Well, not, like, a biological kid.” I explained. “She’s my reading buddy, but she’s my kid.” When I joined SEAL, I thought it would be about tutoring. When I first applied, I figured most of my focus … Continue reading Why SEAL?
The Magic of Reading
A little over a month ago, I began my second semester of volunteering with the best hidden gem at UT: SEAL. I will call my reading buddy Annie after the main character in her favorite book series, The Magic Treehouse. Annie walked up to me on the first day of volunteering. At first, she was timid … Continue reading The Magic of Reading
Hungry for Green Eggs, Ham, and Books
This past semester, I started college at the University of Texas at Austin. A nervous and intimidated freshman though I was, I wanted to put myself out there and try as many new experiences as I could. In high school, volunteering was a huge part of my schedule and I wanted to keep that momentum … Continue reading Hungry for Green Eggs, Ham, and Books
Lunar Lessons from a Second Grader
The day I found SEAL, I was tired; I had spent the better part of the day trudging up and down the many organizations tabling in front of Gregory Gym in the unforgiving August heat. Suddenly, I heard a gentle voice amongst the others: “Does anyone like reading to kids?” I peered around until I … Continue reading Lunar Lessons from a Second Grader
For My Reading Buddy
I already see it happening. When the boys go “ooh cool” about the lizard on the sidewalk, my buddy shrieks and jumps and says she doesn’t want anything to do with it. I find this frustrating. I can tell she’s curious about the lizard because, when the boys move on, she joins me, stooped over … Continue reading For My Reading Buddy
Lessons Learned from Teaching
Joining SEAL, I had no expectation of what it would be like to tutor an elementary student since I had never done any sort of volunteer work solely with children. Although I was worried about working with a first grader, my semester volunteering with SEAL allowed me to gain valuable insight into working with children. … Continue reading Lessons Learned from Teaching
