Program links pupils with collegians

Westminster College
students serve as tutors in the program.

By VIRGINIA ROSS

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Jasmine Napier insists the two hours between 4 and 6 p.m. are the best part of her weekday.

That’s when the 12-year-old New Castle girl gets to spend time with her friends, eat a good supper and most importantly, get extra help with her school work at the Walker’s Neighborhood House after-school tutoring program in the basement of St. John United Holy Church.

“I used to get bad grades, but it’s gotten a lot better,” the sixth-grader explained. “I get help with my work now and I have fun here. And now I’m getting good grades. It’s nice.”

The extra help comes from Westminster College students who volunteer as tutors for the after-school program.

This week, along with the regular tutors, three members of the college’s First Book-Westminster program paid a visit to the church to read to the 20-plus children and present them each with two new free books.

“It’s all about encouraging kids to read and giving them their own books to help them get there,” said Lindsey Thomas, 22, of Butler. Thomas is a senior at Westminster, studying elementary and special education.

“Many children don’t own their own books. With this program we give them something of value that’s theirs to enjoy and keep.”

First Book is an international nonprofit organization focused on giving children from low-income families an opportunity to read and own their first new books. 

First Book-Westminster, part of that network, is a new advisory board working to promote and facilitate the distribution of the new books to children in literacy programs in Lawrence and Mercer counties.

“We all know the importance of reading and the difference it can make to a child,” said Mandy Bearrow, a 21-year-old Westminster senior. Bearrow, an elementary education major from Butler, Pa., read to the children for the First Book-Westminster program.

“We’re all trying to work together to do what we can to encourage them.”

Eileen Morelli, Westminster associate professor of education and faculty adviser to the campus group, explained that as a new affiliate, First Book-Westminster was given 3,000 books to distribute in the two-county area.

The campus affiliate is developing a grant program for children’s organizations to apply for some of these books, she noted. Along with the books presented to the children at the Walker’s Neighborhood House, books were given to children at Farrell Elementary School and the Greenville Head Start program recently. Additional books are earmarked for the Sankey Youth Center, an after-school program administered by the New Castle City Rescue Mission.

“Our goal is to get all of these books into the hands of children by next spring,” Morelli said.

Mallory Waid, 21, of Jefferson, Ohio, also representing First Book-Westminster, said the campus program is looking to sponsor various fund-raising efforts to raise additional money to buy more books for area children.

“This is something we all believe in,” explained the senior elementary and special education student. “Books can open up so many areas for children to explore.”

Meanwhile, Yvonne Clark of Walker’s Neighborhood House, said the Gussie M. Walker Community Outreach program, which sponsors the after-school program, appreciates the help received from Westminster.

Each day as many as 13 of the 33 volunteer tutors from the New Wilmington college lend their skills and services to the program, which is designed to provide free tutoring to underprivileged area children.

The program, which attracts some three dozen students each day, is being housed in the church until the organization is able to raise enough funding to have a new building constructed.

“This is a place where the children can come, get help with their homework, get something to eat and be blessed,” Clark said. “Programs like the First Book program help them so much because it gives them something that is theirs, and it lets them know people care about them. That’s very special.”