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

Students, teachers, and parents in Mesa, Arizona will have a new ally in their classrooms this fall, as Experience Corps expands to Mesa to engage more older adults in efforts to improve early childhood literacy. Three local organizations -- a nonprofit called Make a Difference, Mesa Community College, and Mesa Public Schools -- will work together to host the award-winning national service program for people over 55, which is already active in 18 other cities.

"This unique partnership of agencies with a proven commitment to quality education and civic engagement creates an ideal situation for Experience Corps in Mesa," says Experience Corps CEO John S. Gomperts. "Together, these agencies will be better able to recruit, train and support the Experience Corps members as they make real, measurable differences in the lives of the students."

Rhonda Oliver, president and CEO of Make a Difference, agrees: "Experience Corps will be a welcome addition to the community, pairing older adults who have time, patience, and valuable skills with students who desperately need all of those things."

Bernie Ronan, director of the Mesa Community College Center for Civic Participation, notes the distinctive triple social gain Experience Corps will bring to Mesa, saying that "Experience Corps not only provides meaningful service opportunities for older adults, but allows struggling students to benefit from the experience of their elders, while also strengthening the community through the intergenerational relationships."

In the first year, 16 new Experience Corps members will go to work in two Mesa schools -- Kerr Elementary and Hawthorne Elementary. They will join 2,000 other Experience Corps members who now serve as tutors and mentors to children in 19 cities, where they help teach children to read and develop the confidence and skills to succeed in school and in life.

The area's aging population also makes it an optimal home for Experience Corps. One in five Arizona residents -- over one million people -- is between the ages of 45 and 64, and another 13 percent are 65 and over.

"Mesa is a perfect fit for Experience Corps, and we are excited to bring this program to the community," says Deanna Villanueva-Saucedo, Community Liaison for Mesa Public Schools and Mesa Community College. "With this partnership, everyone wins."

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.

To learn more about Experience Corps Mesa or for information about how to get involved, contact Pat Esparza, Experience Corps Program Coordinator, at 602-697-6464 or chrispatesparza@msn.com.

# # #

Experience Corps, a national service program for Americans over 55, works to show that older adults are an untapped national resource and can be engaged to help solve serious social problems, including illiteracy. Experience Corps is a signature program of Civic Ventures.