Program Impact
During the 2009-2010 school year, 234 Cleveland Experience Corps tutors provided one-on-one tutoring to 1006 students in grades K-5. The evaluation of the program included teachers' assessments of students before and after the tutoring, assessments of the impact the tutors had on the students, perceptions of the tutors' impact, and the EC tutors' perceptions of the program.
- After tutoring, there were 4 or 5 times as many Cleveland students who were "at or above grade level" for reading and literacy skills than before tutoring.
- After the completion of the program, teachers rated more than three times as many students as "good or excellent" in attaining the grade level benchmarks compared to the "good or excellent" ratings of the students before the tutoring.
- Teachers rated more than one third of the students' motivation to learn as "good or excellent" before the tutoring program and after the tutoring more than 6 in 10 of the students had "good or excellent" motivation to learn.
- The teachers rated more than two thirds of the EC tutors as having a "strong or very strong" impact" on the students progress on the five components of reading (comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, phonics and phonemic awareness).
- Cleveland teachers recognized that the EC tutors had impact on students' behavior learning environment. Specifically the Experience Corps tutors had "strong or very strong" impact on students' motivation to learn (67%) and students' behaviors of following directions (61%).
Awards and Recognition
Experience Corps/Greater Cleveland Volunteers members have received numerous awards, including:
Ulysses Salett, Experience Corps tutor, was honored as a Most Treasured Volunteer by the Center For Community Solutions at their annual conference in April 2010. The award was presented to Mr. Salett by Malaak Compton-Rock, author and volunteerism advocate.
Gerris Farris received the Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush when he arrived at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in July, 2007. "I'm going to ask him that each child have books to take home so they can do their homework," Farris said. "His concern should be my concern and my concern should be his concern, and our concern should be the children."
Lois Hagood received the President's Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush when he arrived at Cleveland Hopkins Airport in March 2006, where she spoke with him on the tarmac. "It was a wonderful experience," Hagood said. "When he came off the plane, I was waiting to greet him and he said, 'Come over here and hug me, I have something for you.' He gave me the pin and said, 'Tutoring is great, and you have stepped out and taken the lead.'"
Mildred Ledwell, an Experience Corps member, was chosen as the 2005 recipient of the David Leahy Award for Volunteer Excellence. She was chosen by Greater Cleveland Volunteers to receive this annual award. Mildred has been an Experience Corps member for several years, tutoring and mentoring over 200 children.
Wilma Christian was selected as the Volunteer of the Year award by Cleveland Reads in 2004.
Ruth Small, an Experience Corps tutor since the program started in 1997, was named the 2003 Volunteer of the Year by Cleveland Reads.