An Oakland student originally from Guatemala
is making progress with the help of tutor,
Joan Poulter. Opportunities at Boost! West Oakland
First Unitarian Church of Oakland actively supports and promotes the work of Boost! West Oakland (formerly the Lafayette School Mentoring Project). Many church members and friends have served as one-on-one tutors for children over the years. Because of the deep satisfaction involved with this work, many folks have become "repeat" tutors.
Mission Statement
The mission of Boost! is to empower West Oakland youth with the skills and confidence needed to become positive contributors to society. Boost! fosters healthy attitudes toward learning and strengthens students’ academic performance and self-esteem through individualized One-on-One Tutoring and Mentoring, Field Trips, Enrichment, and Family Events.
DescriptionBoost! West Oakland has served over 1,500 students with no-cost one-to-one tutoring at the Lafayette School in West Oakland since the fall of 1997. The project's highly trained professional staff is on-site daily to support volunteer tutors, assess their students, and provide the tutors advice with curriculum and on-site resources.
There is always a demand for new tutors. Although about 100 students every year have their own tutors, there is always a waiting list, for this program is highly respected among it's participants and their parents. Tutors help students in reading, writing, oral language, and mathematics, while also trying to improve students' confidence and self-esteem. Volunteering with Boost! will not only positively impact a child's life, but yours as well.
A Few Hours a Week
Please consider becoming a one-on-one tutor. Your commitment would be to meet with a student for a few hours at a regularly scheduled time once a week (late afternoon or early evening) at the school. In order to become a volunteer tutor, you must:
- Fill out and send in an application
- Come in for fingerprinting and to be matched with a student
- Attend a 2-hour New Tutor Orientation and a follow-up session after the first day of tutoring.
If you are interested in becoming a tutor or wish to receive more information, please visit www.boostoakland.org, email info@boostoakland.org or call 510-444-7285.
