Volunteering in area's Read to Succeed encouraged
Purdue employees can enhance a child's education in a rewarding way as part of the University's support of Read to Succeed, a joint venture by Greater Lafayette Commerce and the United Way.
The Read to Succeed initiative is designed to place volunteers in the classrooms of local elementary schools to help struggling students become more proficient. Volunteers will donate an hour of time each week to work with an individual child -- and Purdue volunteers can do so on compensated time.
Members of the Purdue community already strengthen Greater Lafayette tremendously by volunteering time and talents to countless organizations and causes. President France A. Córdova encourages Purdue employees to continue that tradition, particularly in areas that help young people toward success in the classroom and eventually in a university environment.
"Experts in our own College of Education agree that poor reading ability in the early grades is clearly linked to high school dropout rates, and that systematic, early intervention is critical when students are experiencing difficulty." Córdova said. "As Greater Lafayette's largest employer and an active community partner, Purdue is proud to join Greater Lafayette Commerce and the United Way in this tremendous effort."
The University has agreed to grant employees compensated time off for the volunteer activity. This includes an hour for actual tutoring and 30 minutes of travel time to and from the school each week. It will be possible for two employees to work with a student in alternate weeks. The commitment is for the whole elementary school academic year.
Read to Succeed volunteers will work under the direction of teachers at Miller, Glen Acres, Burnett Creek, Mayflower Mill and Cumberland Elementary schools. They will assist the students during the regular school day.
Supervisors have discretion to control the volunteer time to avoid significant impact on the department's function. Employees who wish to participate should:
1. Review the specific volunteer opportunities at the Read to Succeed website.
2. Discuss their plan to volunteer with their supervisor.
3. Register to volunteer with the selected school on the Read to Succeed website.
4. Complete the Purdue Read to Succeed participant form.
5. Submit their completed form to HRITS/FREH.
For questions about the process, contact a team member at Employee Relations in Human Resources.
