Helping the Young to Read

Again this fall several Kendal residents traveled to the Newark Public Library to appear before groups of second-graders as volunteers in Call to College, a program designed to foster a love of reading in the kids, many of whom come from economically disadvantaged homes. Our participation last year seemed to have been constructive – and that was certainly the judgment of those who manage the program and who invited us back. Moreover, everyone at the Kendal end got a big kick out of it, with lovely, amusing, and startling stories to share. And so, when we were invited to step up again in 2012, there was no trouble finding interested volunteers. No surprise there: a community of seniors has a full complement of persons who want to be useful to the world they live in. That's why Kendal offers many sorts of opportunities for community volunteering. But this is the one I know most about, and so it's the one I'll comment on.

First, let me introduce our volunteers: Dave Skeen, Harriett Stone, Jack Condon, and Ted Barclay. (That's a smaller number than last year only because the public library asked that some slots be reserved for their own personnel.) The volunteers' assignment was to talk about their lives with groups of seven-year-olds at the Newark Public Library, focusing on how their lifelong engagement with books had made their careers possible. The school kids arrived with questions prepared, and they were of course bubbling with the excitement that comes from the feeling of novelty and freedom that is triggered by any school field trip.

The quartet of volunteers brought an array of life experiences to these conversations – from reflections on induction into the armed forces to thoughts about the challenges of managing a small business.  Within their ranks the cast of volunteers provided administrators, a swimming coach, a psychologist, and a physician.

The residents reported having had a great time, and by all accounts the school kids had a blast. The lesson driven home again and again – and not all that subtly – was that an ability to read opened doors, brought all sorts of joy, made navigating the world far easier, and was a prerequisite to a successful, happy life.

In thinking over what they may have contributed, last years' volunteers sometimes wondered whether these moments of engagement were really too brief to make much of a difference in the lives of children. While it's hard to be confident that there will be a payoff for all the kids, it's easy to believe that Kendal's participation may be affecting the lives of some proportion of them. Much depends on the reinforcing effect of the various follow-ups that the Call to College program has, on family support of course, and on sheer luck. But without the Kendal contribution the odds against many of these children would be even longer. That's the hope that energizes the volunteers who live in our midst.