| Adventures In Creative Writing Field Trips Are Back!
We're back in the writing groove in a big way. See what we've been up to and who we've been writing with, including wonderful poems by new writers from Bronzeville Lighthouse and Bannockburn School.
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Love
Literacy?
Intern At Open Books!
Are you looking for the kind
of internship experience that allows you to work with students, explore
Chicago, collaborate with a dedicated team, and learn the ins and outs of an
innovative nonprofit organization? Then consider spending a semester with us at
Open Books! Read more and find out how to apply.
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3 Scary Statistics
This month, the terrifying things out there are not ghouls
and goblins, but the depth of the literacy crisis happening all around us -- a
crisis that affects students of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds.
This
month, we turn our attention to teens:
· Nearly
half of CPS high school students fail to graduate in four years. High
school dropouts have a 1 in 3 chance of finding a job.
· 13% of 17 year-olds are functionally illiterate, which means that they read
between a 4th and 6th grade level.
· 6
million (of 22 million) teenagers struggle to read and write. |
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V Is For...
Volunteering!
You read. You write. You care about literacy. Take your
enthusiasm to the next level by becoming an Open Books volunteer! We would be
thrilled to help you share your
love of reading with students in Chicago.
Check out our volunteer opportunities and sign up to join us!
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Get Your Dancing Shoes Ready...
...and join us (as well as magicians, artists, dancers, fortune-tellers, and more) at The Revelry, Open Books' first-ever gala fundraising event!
November 5
7 - 10:30 pm
Salvage One
Tickets are on sale now!
Learn more and order yours!
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Dear friends of Open Books,
What's scary this Halloween is not wielding a chainsaw,
crouching in a corn maze, or howling at the moon. What's truly terrifying is
how many students in Chicago are not getting the attention they need to master
the fundamental skills of reading and writing. See what we're doing this month
to help the Chicago literacy crisis become a little less frightening.
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Chicago Parent Magazine Visits Buddies at
CICS Bucktown!
Through Open Books Buddies, one of our
signature programs, adults read with elementary students and help them discover
the fantastic world of books. A
few weeks ago, a reporter from Chicago Parent visited one of our sites
to see the action and to talk about our absolute favorite thing: reading!
Our steadfast group of Big Buddies at CICS Bucktown donned
their weekday best (an Open Books t-shirt, what else?) and prepared to tell the
world about how they selflessly donate their time each week to help students in
Chicago learn to love to read. One of our students was so engrossed in his
dinosaur book that he wouldn't even put it down to talk to the camera. Now that's
the kind of enthusiasm we're trying to cultivate!
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Spotlight On The Problem:
The Long-Term Benefits Of Mentoring
At Open Books, the idea of providing consistent,
individualized support for students is at the heart of many of our programs. We've
seen firsthand the incredible rapport that can develop between mentors and
students, and we've seen how a student can excel when an adult volunteer coaches
him or her. Having a mentor can be that extra boost a student needs if he or
she doesn't get the attention and support they deserve at school or at home.
A recent article in EdWeek tracks various studies about the
effects of mentoring and concludes that stability and time are the crucial
factors for increasing student success. Students participating in the studies
showed the most promise when paired with a community-based mentor for at least
a year and when the pairs combined academic work with building a personal relationship. During that time, many students experienced a rise in self-esteem,
peer relationships, academic empathy, and school attendance. Regrettably, students who make strides
while working with their mentors can regress once the program ends, so it's
important for mentors to keep in touch and continue working with their students
outside of the classroom.
Providing in-school mentors has also become a critical
national initiative: of the approximately 4,700 mentoring organizations in the
country, nearly 28% do their work in schools, and many districts are now seeking
partnerships with community organizations in order to provide much needed
one-on-one support for their students.
Open Books is thrilled to pair hundreds of struggling
students with dedicated mentors each year. We believe that when students see
the same face each week at Buddies, or work every week with their VWrite mentor, they will experience tremendous gains, both academically and
emotionally. Being a mentor can be
challenging, but it's a hugely rewarding experience when you get to witness
students' growth and progress. Want an example? Read what Joe Sak, one of the many mentors helping students flourish through VWrite this fall, has to say about his experience taking his mentee
Giovanni on a college visit (pictured below!). And if you're interested in joining the cause by becoming a mentor yourself, we'd love to have you!
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