Schools, partners, funders
Experience Corps impact
Educators, members and community leaders
Answers to your questions
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MEMBER PROFILE
Still Forming
Bonds
Raul Castaneda, classroom aide turned Experience Corps member (and award winner), San Francisco

I joined Experience Corps because: When I retired years ago, I was looking for something to do. I saw an Experience Corps flyer at the library, and I called the organization. It's been a great experience working in the schools because I'm a bilingual tutor.

The best part of being an Experience Corps member is : The immediate result I see every day when I work with the children one-on-one.

I like to tell the story about: I have a student this year from Mexico. This last year I've been working with her one-on-one for 45 minutes every day, and she's more open and has friends. Also, last year, I worked with a third-grade boy. He had to go back to Mexico, and I visited him, bringing him letters from his old classmates. I want to visit him every year.

I'm sticking with Experience Corps because: I've learned the last three years that a strong base in elementary school is important for moving from elementary to middle school -- you have to have a strong curriculum.

Read about Raul's recent award!

"It's like a job. You have goals. You see results" -Yuriy, Experience Corps Member

Printer Friendly
 

Program Details

New York City Program Details Year of Experience Corps project launch: 1996

Neighborhoods served: South Bronx, North Bronx, Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn, Harlem, Lower Manhattan, Sunnyside Queens.

The Prejudice Reduction Project has recently been offered in:

  • Bronx - PS 29, PS 161

  • Queens - PS 99, PS 99 Annex, PS17 and PS 17 Annex, and PS 53, PS 50, PS 80, PS 156

  • Staten Island - PS 42, PS 53, PS 22, PS 41, PS 80 Michael Petrides School

  • Brooklyn - PS 261

  • Manhattan - PS 36, PS 92, PS 314 and PS 19

    • Schools/Centers served: PS 1, 16, 29, 36, 40, 81, 92, 95, 129, 140, 142, 150, 154, 156, 277, 335

Students served: Approximately 400 tutored and 2,250 served by the Prejudice Reduction Project

Grades/ages of students served: K-3

Experience Corps participants: 233

Participant hours logged last school year: 72,000 in tutoring alone

Requirements for volunteers: Interest in working with children, completed application, character reference, TB test, criminal background check, 15-hour/week commitment, pre-service training and ongoing training throughout the year. All Prejudice Reduction volunteers complete a two-day diversity training workshop from the National Conference for Community and Justice and a six-day curriculum training workshop conducted by RSVP staff.
 

Partners and Funders

Lead Agency: Community Service Society of New York

Other community partners: The National Conference for Community and Justice, New York City Department for the Aging, Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, Grand Street Settlement, Sunnyside Community Center

Local funders: Pinkerton Foundation, Department for the Aging, Altria Corporation (formerly known as Phillip Morris), New York State for the Aging, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
 
Kemba Tamar
Project Director
Community Service Society
Phone: 212-614-5499
ktamar@cssny.org

Leave a message here:

Name

Email

Message



Celebrating People in Action!
"In the 21st century, the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education. And in this country, the success of our children cannot depend more on where they live than on their potential."

-President Obama, "State of the Union," January 27, 2010
"Together, we can continue our commitment to education innovation by investing in Experience Corps, a program that helps elementary students by increasing the number of older adult tutors and mentors in the classroom. Independent research shows that Experience Corps works: Third-grade reading and math scores are rising and students feel safer at school."

-Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, State of the City Speech, February 22, 2010