Oasis Tutoring Quarterly Newletter
One Child, One Tutor, One School Year. Two Lives Forever Changed.
From the Director’s Desk
Hello Oasis Tutors,
Welcome to the first edition of the quarterly Tutoring newsletter!
This year we are celebrating 35 years of the Oasis program, and we are celebrating YOU. You are all amazing!
We are grateful and honored that you have chosen to volunteer, joining our efforts to encourage growth in literacy and student success. We would not have a program without you. We know the impact you make on the lives of our students. Thank you.
This newsletter is created for you, to celebrate your achievements, keep you up to date on tutoring news, and to provide a resource for the work you do with your students. We hope you enjoy reading it, and we would love to hear your feedback and ideas.
With gratitude,
Mary Click & Stephanie McCreary
AmeriCorps Seniors Celebrating 30th Anniversary honoring three decades of Services!
This year, Americorps is celebrating its 30th anniversary, honoring 30 decades of national service. Oasis is proud to celebrate not only our dedicated tutors but also the millions of Americans who have chosen to service their country through volunteering with AmeriCorps and Americorps Seniors, and we encourage others to follow in their footsteps.
Oasis currently holds the AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP grant in Missouri for Audrain, Callaway, Franklin, Jefferson, Linn, Livingston, St. Charles County, St. Louis City, and St. Louis County, as well as St. Clair County, Illinois. Over 2,000 active tutors serve in Missouri school districts, providing over 50,000 hours of service each school year.
AmeriCorps Senior Day has been declared in St. Louis, Missouri
On May 8th, Americorps Seniors (ACS) St. Louis hosted a volunteer recognition picnic at Tower Grove Park Piper Palm House to increase their visibility within the St. Louis Community and draw attention and support for these programs from local representatives. Oasis Tutoring, representing the RSVP program, was in attendance, with more than 60 tutors.
In celebration of Older Americans Month, the event focused on the theme “Powered by Connection,” recognizing the significant influence of meaningful relationships and social connections on health and well-being. Mayor Tishaura Jones of St. Louis issued a mayoral proclamation to honor the commitment of our volunteers to improving their communities and declared it as AmeriCorps Seniors Day in St. Louis.
Honoring our Tutors Achievements
Thank you for making a difference in a child’s life! Over the past 35 years, Oasis Tutors have played an essential role in the lives of so many children. Oasis Tutoring has reached over 525,000 children and is one of the largest tutoring programs. Since its inception in 1989, the Oasis intergenerational program has been a shining example of community, collaboration, and the power of intergenerational connections. We thank our network of 2,000 Oasis Tutors in 15 different states and over 23 cities.
Check out some of the event recognition events photos, celebrating our tutors nationwide!
20 – Year Milestone Achievement
Linda Walker – Montgomery County, Maryland
Connie Sullivan – City of St. Charles School District, Missouri
Ann Gulick –Pattonville School District, Missouri
Betty Reichert – Rockwood School District. Missouri
Judy Compton – Mehlville School District, Missouri
Nancy Otso – Mehlville School District. Missouri
Edwyna Towler – Mehlville School District, Missouri
Barbara Jones- Parkway School District, Missouri
Lou Cohen – Clayton School District, Missouri
30 – Year Milestone Achievement
Gloria Jennings has been a tutor, volunteer coordinator and trainer at the San Antonio, Texas location for 30 years! She was recently honored at their recognition event.
Volunteer Spotlight
Fulton resident receives Show Me Service Award during National Volunteer Week
During National Volunteer Week, the Missouri Community Service Commission recognizes outstanding volunteers in the state. The 22nd Annual Show Me Service Awards were held on April 22nd at the Jefferson City State Capital building, where over 100 people gathered to celebrate Missourians making a difference in their local communities.
At the event, Linda Vedder, a Fulton resident, received the AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteer of the Year Award for the North Central region. Linda has been volunteering for Oasis Tutoring in Callaway County since 2021. She serves as a pen pal and reading mentor at New Bloomfield Elementary School. Her service supports the classroom teacher’s efforts while also providing that much-needed one-on-one time with students who need it most.
Summer Literacy Celebration Webinar Series
Fulton resident receives Show Me Service Award during National Volunteer Week
Oasis Tutoring will present the Summer Literacy Celebration Webinar Series again this year. These virtual events will highlight the work of both authors and illustrators as they give you a glimpse into their process and work. The dates, times, and presenters for remaining two sessions are as follows:
Session #2: Tuesday, July 9th: David Bierdrzycki, Author/Illustrator of Sumo Kitty and Invasion of the Unicorns
10:30 a.m. Central Time
11:30 a.m. Eastern Time
9:30 a.m. Mountain Time
8:30 a.m. Pacific Time
For Authorator David Biedrzycki (50% Author 50%Illustrator) it all started when he was 4 years old. His older brother showed him how to draw a human face and David was hooked. Always loving to draw and creating his own stories, and much to his parents liking, David was always happy to sit in a corner of their kitchen and draw for hours on end. Not a strong reader in his early years, his second grade teacher sparked his imagination by reading to him every day at recess.
After attending Kutztown State University in Pennsylvania, he moved to Boston MA where he now resides. He started his commercial art career in the 1980’s but later switched back to his first love of creating his own stories. He now has written and /or illustrated over 30 books and visits in person and virtually over one hundred schools a year domestically and internationally inspiring students to write and create their own stories.
Registration Link for David Biedrzycki’s session:
Session #3: Tuesday, August 13th: Beth Bacon, Author of Alphabuddies: G is First and I hate Reading
10:30 a.m. Central Time
11:30 a.m. Eastern Time
9:30 a.m. Mountain Time
8:30 a.m. Pacific Time
Beth Bacon is an author for young readers. Beth writes books for kids. Some books are funny. Some are non-fiction. Some books are for reluctant readers. Some are for new readers just learning how to read.
Beth gets her ideas from the many places she’s been, and the interesting people she meets. She has lived in New England, California; St. Louis, Missouri; New York; Japan; and the Pacific Northwest. She has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She also has a MA in Communication Arts from New York University and a BA in Literature from Harvard University. She’s a baseball fan and loves hiking in nature.
Registration Link for Beth Bacon’s session:
“Being part of Oasis Tutoring has been the most rewarding thing I have done in years. I look forward to meeting with my students each week. His teacher says I am having a positive influence on him and that makes me happy and proud. I guess life can begin again at eighty!” – Oasis Tutor
New Study shows impressive health and well-being benefits from the Oasis Intergenerational tutoring
With funding support provided by the RRF Foundation for Aging, Oasis surveyed tutors from our four cities (Albuquerque, Saint Louis, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh) to understand the tutoring experience and its effect on health. A quasi-experimental design was used to compare Oasis tutors with a nationally representative sample of older adults.
Key Findings:
45.1% of tutors reported one or more unexpected benefit as a result of tutoring
• Tutor benefits (socialization, personal growth, increased appreciation of the school system)
• Generatively and chance to help student learning and growth
• Opportunities for networking
• Pathway to other forms of engagement
“Tutoring this year has kept me connected to people. It gave me purpose and a reason to keep moving…I feel like I’m doing something very worthwhile. It gives me joy!” – Oasis Tutor
Name the Newsletter!
We are looking for a name for our digital newsletter, and we need your help! Click the link below to fill out a form with your ideas!
https://forms.gle/tbkgnpfyFKcWbTmJ6
We want to hear from YOU!
Would you like to refer a friend to tutor for next school year? Share your tutor story with us! Email us at: [email protected]