Recognition for a special group of elementary and college students took place in the Skyline College Theater on May 5, 2016. ThReading Partners Picture 2e Skyline College Literacy Intervention Community Partnership (SCLICP), made possible through a President’s Innovation Fund grant from the President’s Council, hel d their end of year celebration to bring together educators, parents, tutors, and students.  On that day, the partnership celebrated the year’s accomplishments, but more importantly, also came together to once again confirm that what drives learning is curiosity and collaboration.

The project, initiated three years ago through Career Services Center brought together Skyline College students in service to their community with Los Cerritos Elementary School children and Reading Partners, a program that mobilizes communities to provide students with individualized literacy support to read at grade level by fourth grade. The concept allows Skyline College students to test out career aspirations all the while, making a difference in their community by directly impacting children’s educational success. The school children who visited Skyline College to receive recognition of their accomplishments may very well be our enrollees in the decade to come.

Since 2013, this three-way partnership has impacted scores of students comprising over 160 tutors and equally as many studentsReading Partners Picture who were tutored. They all come to volunteer for one reason…to become a partner in a very important relationship. One that creates a bond and mutual respect which in turn, brings about the most organic aspects of collaboration. Doing good, feels good…both in the sense of volunteering and learning to read and it is important to note this goodness, curiosity, and collaboration.

One idea, one tutor, and one child can indeed launch infinite possibilities. We saluted 52 of the most extraordinary of those possibilities on our campus and it was a day the students will long remember.

 

Article by Lavinia Zanassi | Photos by Alexandra Kaplan