When my employer offered the opportunity to volunteer as a tutor with Vello every week, I was skeptical about how much I could contribute. Like many people, my work week is always full to the brim with 40 hours of tasks to accomplish. But after I heard what the Vello rep had to say, I surprised myself by signing up as a volunteer. The request for half an hour of my work week seemed reasonable. The opportunity to mentor a child sounded like fun. And getting to explore the resources I help create as a Learning A-Z employee was an extra bonus.
The program’s concept is so simple, yet so valuable. Developed by The Valley of the Sun United Way, Vello partnered with Learning A-Z to offer classrooms an online tutoring program. Vello connects schools with volunteers and then provides the platform that enables the volunteer to tutor students using Raz-Plus resources. Volunteers come from companies looking to help support education in their communities. The program provides, at no cost to the classroom, Raz-Plus licensing and equipment for the school year.
Learning A-Z products are great for tutoring and mentoring, especially if you’re connecting virtually! Check out our learning solutions.
Each week, I scheduled and held my tutoring sessions with the same student. When I first met her, neither of us knew what to expect. We introduced ourselves in our online phone chat. Then she shared her screen while she navigated through the library of books Raz-Plus had chosen for her based on her reading level. She chose a book, and together we read it, discussed it, completed the correlating quiz, and had just enough time to say our goodbyes. Week after week, we showed up and repeated this.
Soon I started noticing the small intangible things they didn’t mention at the volunteer orientation. I noticed the confidence in Naveah’s voice in saying hello to me after just a few meetings. I noticed her increasing ease in being able to ask me questions or ask for help with words that were more difficult. I noticed the steady improvement in her reading skills and her increasing interest in the book subjects.
It wasn’t long before I realized how much I enjoyed our sessions as well. The inspiration from our sessions was rejuvenating. It felt good to offer that extra support and encouragement in a student’s life. It felt good to help her teacher and classroom by being part of a team that offered extra reading practice time.
Imagine how many classrooms could benefit from this kind of program! Any company looking for a meaningful way to give back should consider contacting their local United Way office to find out how they can support education through Vello. The request is only half an hour of your work week, but your help can have a meaningful impact on a child’s future.
Have you ever been a tutor or mentor? Share your experience on social media!
Use the hashtag #MentoringMonth and tag us @LearningAtoZ.
