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Corporate Involvement

 

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Cambridge School Volunteers provides a structured, proven method for your company to collaborate with the Cambridge Public Schools. Over the last decade, CSV has successfully managed projects that match teams of volunteer employees with students. These volunteers currently serve as NetPals/KeyPals, Reading Buddies, tutors/mentors in after-school Learning Centers, and volunteers in special projects. Some corporate employees choose to take on additional volunteer responsibilities, in other CSV programs.

CSV provides management services to these projects, including the facilitation of volunteer screening, orientation, and training, and project coordination, evaluation, and documentation. CSV can design a program for your company if you can recruit at least 20 employees to participate in regular, sustained interactions with a group of students.

CSV has 10 corporate partners with ongoing initiatives. See program descriptions below. To learn more about CSV's corporate programs, contact Lisa Van Vleck, Director of Corporate Programs, at (617) 349-6794.

 

> Reading Buddies

> NetPals/KeyPals

> After-School Academic Learning Center Partnerships

> Special Project Models

 

Reading Buddies

Do your employees love to read? Could they pass their enthusiasm along to an eager beginning reader? Reading Buddies projects address Cambridge’s strong commitment to early literacy by pairing adult volunteers with first, second or third graders to read aloud once a week, usually during the adult’s lunch hour. Volunteers receive training in specific techniques for reading aloud and engaging children in conversation about books.

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NetPals/KeyPals

Do your employees travel frequently or keep irregular schedules? The NetPal model provides a way for employees to volunteer without physically going to a school each week. NetPal projects partner adults with middle school students for one-on-one communication via e-mail. Students share written assignments and exchange friendly messages bi-weekly with their adult NetPals. NetPals receive training on how to help students focus on basic writing skills. NetPals also share information about their career paths and help students think about how education relates to the world of work. Two visits to the worksite and a year-end celebration are built into each program.

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After-school Academic Learning Center Partnerships

Could a team of your employees adopt an elementary After-school Academic Learning Center and commit to having 2 tutors there, once or twice each week? This project model pairs teams of volunteers from Cambridge businesses with After-school Academic Learning Centers in each of Cambridge’s 12 elementary schools. Individual volunteers on each team commit to one or more sessions per month. The Centers are coordinated by a classroom teacher.

Learning Centers are a key component of a system-wide extended-learning program available to Cambridge elementary school students in grades 3-8. The Centers offer children individualized academic support after school from teachers and volunteers as they complete homework assignments and reinforce skills.

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Special Project Models

CSV can also tailor project models to the particular opportunities offered by an individual worksite.

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Reading Buddies
"Our Reading Buddies really listen to us, and they teach us new words and make us feel really, really smart." 2nd grader, Kennedy School

NetPals/KeyPals
"I had the opportunity of meeting my daughter's KeyPal at the family breakfast, and it was great. She is definitely a positive reinforcement on my daughter and allows my daughter to think about her future." Parent, Kennedy Longfellow School

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