The Voice of Experience
JUNE 2006
in this issue
MEMBER PROFILE
still a class act

Mary McDonald, retired teacher, Boston

I joined Experience Corps because: Service is very important in my life. I think this is what I should be doing, especially because I know I can make a difference here.

We got parents involved when: We read the book, Stone Soup, and decided to try to make the soup. The students each brought a different vegetable to put in the soup, and they were very curious when we finished to see if it had actual stones in it. The parents were invited to join in, and we had many parents participate even though it was during the daytime.

I really enjoyed: Helping during Black History Month. We put on a play called "Nonviolence on the Move." It was a reenactment of Rosa Parks getting on the bus. It was performed right after Sister Rosa Parks passed away, with children playing Rosa Parks, Dr. King, Rev. Abernathy, and Robert Kennedy. The audience loved it!

I plan on sticking with Experience Corps because: We need to leave something to this generation. There's a lot that we know that can help young people achieve and help them be comfortable with their life, and it's up to us to pass it on to them.

A Letter from the CEO

As schools across the country begin to close for the summer, I’m pleased to report that it’s been another truly exceptional year for Experience Corps…a year of tremendous accomplishments and big headlines.

The numbers tell part of the story.  This year nearly 2,000 Experience Corps members worked in 160 schools in 14 cities, helping nearly 20,000 students. 

The headlines tell another part: I think Experience Corps is getting a lion's share of attention because we operate at the intersection of two of the most important stories of our times – the challenge of school success for poor children and the aging of America. Most of what you read and hear about these subjects is negative. The typical story focuses on the fact that too many kids are not learning to read, dropping out of school, leaving opportunity and success behind. And the typical story about the aging of America focuses on the costs to society – Social Security, Medicare, prescription drugs.

Experience Corps tells a very different story about each of these topics – a story of hope.

Every day, Experience Corps members brighten the days and the prospects of children who need and want help. They prove that every child can learn, that illiteracy and school failure are problems that can be solved. That gives us all a sense of optimism and pride.

And Experience Corps members are beacons of hope, too, about the advantages our communities and our country can reap from an America that is getting older. Instead of focusing on the costs of an aging society, they show that people who have finished their regular working lives can be powerful agents of change and progress in our communities.

I can hardly think of two more important contributions to our country at this time.

Warm best wishes for a great summer,

John S. Gomperts
jgomperts@experiencecorps.org

Experience Corps in the News

Over the past month, Experience Corps has received extensive, positive media coverage. Here are a few of the major stories:
  • NBC Nightly News ran a segment about Experience Corps’s work in Philadelphia. "The program is expanding," correspondent Ron Allen says, "adding four more cities in the fall, and with millions of baby boomers nearing retirement, Experience Corps expects to have a huge pool of new recruits. They are volunteers eager to share a lifetime of experience and wisdom when there's still important work to do." Take a look »
  • The Philadelphia Inquirer published an article by Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Mike Vitez, who calls Experience Corps "a program pioneered in Philadelphia that...could one day pair an immense need -- up to 10 million American children who read poorly -- with a vast resource: A new generation of healthy retirees with the time, patience and desire to help." It also reports on a Philadelphia principal’s one complaint about Experience Corps members: "There aren’t enough of them." Read more here »
  • The Baltimore Sun calls Experience Corps a "win-win" for older adults and students, adding that the Corps "formula...is being held up as a model" for the nation. The article cites the key role of research from Johns Hopkins University in proving effectiveness for both students and adults Read more about it »
  • WJZ-TV, the CBS affiliate in Baltimore, ran a story on Experience Corps, citing increased student reading scores. Dr. Linda Fried, head of Johns Hopkins geriatrics division, says Experience Corps helps "harness the benefits of aging society." Take a look »

National, Local Leaders Praise Experience Corps

VIPs across the country ended the school year with good things to say about Experience Corps. Here’s a sampling:
  • Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association: Experience Corps members "have helped make it possible for children across the city to achieve – no matter their zip code, no matter their parents' income, no matter what kind of neighborhood they call home. I cannot tell you the value you present to these children. I cannot tell you the value you present to these schools. And I cannot tell you the value you present to public education."
  • Paul Vallas, CEO, Philadelphia School District: "Since Experience Corps has come to the schools, test scores have continued to rise. It's no small secret that Experience Corps has played a large role. We need this program in all of our schools."
  • Sheila Dixon, president of the Baltimore City Council: Experience Corps members "are planting seeds. You are affecting not only the students you serve, but other students, the principal, the teachers. You are making the schools stable, spiritual, and sound. We need Experience Corps in every elementary and middle school in the city."

Rep. Vel�zquez Proposes Incentives for Older Adult Service

New York Congresswoman Nydia Vel�zquez recently introduced legislation to establish Silver Scholarships, which would give older adults who provide 600 hours of service in one year a $1000 educational stipend that could be transferred to any person of the older adults' choosing, including a grandchild or mentored child. The bill would amend the Older Americans Act. There are currently 10 cosponsors. Read more »
President Bush Honors Experience Corps Member

President Bush Honors Corps Member

A retired teacher and editor who was born in the Philippines, Virginia Ganzon Sturwold survived the Bataan Death March, breast cancer, and domestic violence. For decades she's volunteered to help other survivors, but she calls the past six years as an Experience Corps member at Francis Scott Key Elementary in San Francisco "truly the most rewarding and satisfying." For all her service, President Bush recently invited her to the White House to receive the nation's top volunteer honor, the President's Volunteer Service Award. Sturwold, 82, calls the White House event "truly the highlight of my life." Read more »

Government Releases State-by-State Volunteer Rates

Which state has the highest percentage of older adult volunteers? Which region of the country has the highest volunteer rate? And which region has the volunteers who put in the most hours? You can find out in a new report from the U.S. Corporation for National & Community Service, "Volunteering in America: State Trends and Rankings." Read more »

New Study: Nonprofits Not Maximizing Volunteers' Experience

In the no-surprise-but-still-alarming department, a new survey shows that the vast majority of nonprofits aren't fully using their volunteers' professional skills and knowledge. The 2006 Deloitte/Points of Light Foundation IMPACT Study found that while 77 percent of nonprofit leaders believe their skilled volunteers could improve their organizations' business practices, just 12 percent of nonprofits actually put volunteers to work on such assignments. Read more »

Two New Publications on Boomers and Civic Engagement

Boomers are the subject of two new publications – one on employee volunteer programs and one on civic engagement generally:
  • A new study by the Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College and Volunteers of America, "Expanding the Boundaries of Corporate Volunteerism," focuses on the aging baby boom generation and identifies trends in employee volunteer programs. Published with support from Atlantic Philanthropies, the report provides new research about the aging of the nation's labor force, and suggests ways the private and public sectors can tap into boomers' talent and energy in their volunteer programs.
  • A new textbook collection of essays, "Civic Engagement and the Baby Boomer Generation," edited by Laura Wilson and Sharon Simson, identifies Experience Corps as taking an "institutional lead" in "capturing the productive potential of older adults." Authors include Robert Putnam and Bill Galston, among others.

About Experience Corps

Experience Corps, an award-winning program, engages people over 55 in meeting society's greatest challenges. Today, in 23 cities across the country, 2,000 Experience Corps members tutor and mentor elementary school students struggling to learn to read. Independent research shows that Experience Corps boosts student academic performance, helps schools and youth-serving organizations become more successful, and enhances the well-being of the older adults in the process. Experience Corps is a signature program of Civic Ventures.

Learn more about Experience Corps in these cities: Annapolis, MD, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, MD, Beaumont, TX, Boston, MA, Cleveland, Evansville, IN, Grand Rapids, Greater New Haven, Marin County, Mesa, Minneapolis, New York City, Oakland, Philadelphia, Port Arthur, TX, Portland, OR, Revere, MA, San Francisco, St. Paul, Tempe, Tucson, AZ, Washington, DC.

Questions or comments? Send an email to info@experiencecorps.org

Experience Corps is a signature program of Civic Ventures.
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