Be Good

Spring is in the air, and our community is alive with beautiful flowers and comfortable temperatures. May continues the spring theme of rebirth and renewal, so it’s a great time to re-commit to your practice. It’s also time for a new karma yoga partner! This month’s wonderful partner suggestion, the Augustine Project for Literacy, comes to us from a student.  This organization’s purpose is to improve the reading, writing and spelling skills of low income students in Charlotte by providing free, long-term one-on-one instruction from highly trained volunteer tutors. How does this benefit our community? Here are a few facts about the literacy problem in our area:

• In North Carolina, an astounding 30 percent of high school students drop out before graduating; this severely limits their chances to live fulfilling, productive lives. • According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, slightly more than 50% of its 136,832 students are economically deprived. • By the time CMS students reach fourth and fifth grades, about 30% test below grade level in reading, a number that is likely higher among low-income children • Research shows that children who fall behind in learning to read in primary grades do not make up that lost ground without explicit instruction. • But, research also shows that 90% of kids who are behind can be brought to grade level with the appropriate intervention.

It’s a challenging problem, but the Augustine Project for Literacy is undaunted and committed to making a difference for kids. Their program provides 60 hours of training for volunteers to tutor low- income children. Volunteers tutor public school students one-on-one twice a week in reading, writing and spelling. Many of these children have learning disabilities and do not have the means to pay for tutoring. Each tutor commits to 60 hours of tutoring a child, which usually translates to 1 or 2 school years, but many tutors stay with their students for several years.