COLUMBIA LITERACY ADVOCACY PROJECT (CLAP)

2756 Lerner Hall New York, NY 10027 347.728.0071

columbiaclap@gmail.com

Did you know a third of all detained youth read below the fourth grade level? Would you like to teach and mentor teens in the Juvenile Justice System? The Columbia Literacy Advocacy Project (CLAP) is a new initiative that helps youth in detention who are below grade level in reading and math. Research has proven that routine tutoring sessions, in addition to standard schooling, can have a significant impact on the academic performance of this overlooked, under-served group. We are looking for Columbia students to mentor and tutor detained youth at the Horizons Juvenile Detention Center. Tutors will lead dynamic and engaging study sessions to help their students perform better on NY State Regents exams. We are looking for tutors in the sciences, math, English, history, and foreign languages. Tutoring sessions take place from 3-5pm, and will begin late January, and last until finals week in May. CLAP will then resume in the spring. We are also looking for students interested in taking on leadership positions with CLAP! If you are interested in joining, please email columbiaclap@gmail.com

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2756 Lerner Hall New York, NY 10027 347.728.0071

columbiaclap@gmail.com

Spring 2013 Program Information

Volunteers will tutor detained youth at the Horizons Detention Facility, located about 30 minutes from Columbia by subway. Horizons is easily accessible by the 2 train uptown. The program will run throughout the spring semester, Monday-Thursday 3-5pm. There is no minimum or maximum requirement for the number of days/week that a volunteer must tutor. Depending on tutors availability, we will try our best to create volunteer groups or buddies. There will also be an alternate program, in which tutors will work on weekend mornings with a student at Columbia. All applicants should submit this same forma and tutors will be assigned to either program as scheudling permits. We are looking for tutors in all high school subjects, most notably English (reading and writing), math, history and science. Tutors are part of the after school program at Passages, the school at Horizon, and only work with students who elect to participate. The youth we will be tutoring are predominantly in the 13-15 age range, 20% female and 80% male, and 50% special education. They are detained for crimes ranging from theft to assault, and spend on average 1 month (and up to 3 years) at Horizons as they await their court dates. The tutoring sessions will be conducted in a secure environment, and there will always be a class counselor as well as security personell present. Take note that this is not the standard tutoring opportunity. The students are eager to learn, but the vast majority read below grade level, and low confidence levels often result in disruptive classroom behavior. Just sitting down and going over homework problems is not the point of the tutoring sessions; we encourage all tutors to come up with creative and dynamic ways of presenting material. We are really trying to stimulate the students interest in learning by doing activities that are fun, engaging and not what they are normally exposed to in the standard classroom environment.

Volunteer Application
Please email a complete application to columbiaclap@gmail.com. We will contact selected applicants for a 10 minute in-person interview. If you have any additional questions about the program, do not hesitate to contact us!

COLUMBIA LITERACY ADVOCACY PROJECT (CLAP)

2756 Lerner Hall New York, NY 10027 347.728.0071

columbiaclap@gmail.com

I. Biographical Information
Name: School and Year (e.g. CC 2013): Email: Are you under 18? Have you ever been convicted of a crime? Have you ever taken the New York State Regents Exams? (not required) Phone Number:

What subjects can you teach?

Do you speak any other language besides English fluently?

Which days are you available for 3-5pm tutoring? (check multiple days if possible)

Are you interested in a leadership position?

Do you have any prior teaching or tutoring experience?

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2756 Lerner Hall New York, NY 10027 347.728.0071

columbiaclap@gmail.com

II. Essay Questions: please respond in 2-3 paragraphs.

1. What draws you to tutor juveniles in detention?

2. Describe your most powerful learning (or teaching) experience. (Why was it powerful? How did it influence you?)