hosts Experience Corps in Philadelphia

For more information, contact: Robert Tietze Temple University Center for Intergenerational Learning Phone: 215-204-8057 tietze@temple.edu

Experience Corps Philadelphia

Experience Corps engages older adults to support schools in improving the reading and literacy skills of children in grades K-8. Experience Corps teams of 10-15 members are placed in schools throughout Philadelphia to provide one-on-one and small group instruction for students reading below proficiency. Experience Corps members also develop family and parent outreach efforts, school post offices, and other enrichment and support activities.

Philadelphia Experience Corps is the largest and one of the five original Experience Corps programs and boasts an extensive level of roles and opportunities for retirees and older adults to serve. Philadelphia continues to develop new strategies for engaging its volunteers in a variety of positions, including administrative, program level and leadership positions. Philadelphia also has an extensive Leadership Development component that provides intensive training for retirees in community and program leadership. The program recently won the national Program of Excellence Award and operates in over 40 schools in Philadelphia, with over 450 members serving 4,500 children.

Temple University's Center for Intergenerational Learning, the host agency for Philadelphia Experience Corps, is a national leader in designing and developing effective, sustainable intergenerational initiatives that address critical social and community issues. Established in 1979, the Center is a national resource for intergenerational programming and research that creates opportunities for youth and elders to contribute to their communities.