Change a Life, Become an OASIS Inter-generational Tutor

A six-year old first grader recently reported to his father with excitement: “Papa, I read the words in my head!”. That explosion of excitement when a child discovers the power of reading and comprehension is almost palpable. OASIS Education Center in downtown Portland administers a program that allows adult volunteers to observe such excitement on a regular basis.

Through the OASIS Inter-generational Tutoring program, volunteers, your neighborhood schools, and OASIS team up to help children in kindergarten through fourth grade develop reading and language skills that will last a lifetime. The national OASIS Institute developed and refined its program during two decades of successful application in hundreds of schools all over the country. Once you have made a commitment to become an OASIS tutor, we schedule your training. Once completed, we coordinate your placement in the school of your preference. More than seven communities in the Portland/SW Washington metropolitan area are registered with OASIS.

You work with the same child once each week throughout the school year, in cooperation with his/her teacher. The child you tutor will enjoy getting to get to know you, and you will see a direct impact on his/her reading development. OASIS tutors often share their belief that they gain as much as they give in this mutual experience.

You will attend regular meetings to continue training and to share your successes and challenges with other tutors. Most of all, you will realize you are part of a national program, engaging more than 5,000 volunteers nationwide. According to a recent OASIS Institute report, teachers reported that 94 percent of their students in the tutoring program gain in confidence and 90 percent show improvement in academic performance. In 2006, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging recognized the program with one of its Ten Best Volunteer Programs award.

Participation in this rewarding inter-generational program is simple: just contact the OASIS Educational Center, @ Macy’s Attn.: Tutor Coordinator, 621 SW Fifth Avenue Portland, OR 97204, or call 503-833-3636.

OASIS in Portland is part of a national nonprofit education organization dedicated to enriching the lives of adults over 50. Local sponsors include Legacy Health System, Macy’s Foundation, and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon.

Provided by: OASIS Educational Center
For more information: www.oasisnet.org/portland