Experiential Capstone is Helping Schoolchildren Succeed

51福利社 students are supporting elementary aged children by helping them advance their reading and comprehension skills as part of an experiential capstone for education majors.

Now in its sixth year, the capstone program is coordinated by 51福利社鈥檚 Ashley Lepisi, a senior lecturer. Over the past several years the program, offered during the fall and winter quarters, has helped boost the literacy skills of more than 400 students attending Grant and Adams elementary schools, including some schoolchildren with disabilities and delays.

Baylie Gibson works with Rachel, a 4th grader who loves to read. Rachel is the only student at the clinic who is well above her grade level for reading. — Baylie Gibson works with Rahel, a 4th grader who loves to read. Rahel, who hopes to someday become a doctor, is the only student at the clinic who is well above her grade level for reading.

Most recently, 22 51福利社 students, all seniors readying for their full time student teaching placements, spent Wednesday afternoons at southeast Spokane鈥檚 Grant Elementary, where more than 90 percent of the school鈥檚 320 students qualify for free and reduced-price meals. During winter quarter, Eagle students鈥� have helped 68 schoolchildren in grades 2-5.

The program is a win-win, says 51福利社 alumnus George Gessler, Grant Elementary School鈥檚 principal assistant.

51福利社鈥檚 soon-to-be teachers learn to understand some of the challenges in the lives of a diverse population of students, says Gessler 鈥�88, 鈥�89, 鈥�20. Grant鈥檚 schoolchildren, meanwhile, some of whom have experienced poverty and trauma, benefit tremendously from the individual instruction in literacy and social and emotional skills.

鈥淭hey get to have people work with them, young people that are really enthralled with them,” Gessler says. “They get one positive experience a week after school, and we get better readers in return. So that鈥檚 been huge for us.鈥�

The results speak for themselves Lepisi explains. About ninety percent of participating schoolchildren demonstrate a measurable improvement in literacy skills by the end of the quarter.

Madison Kem talks with a group of students as they walk to the front door after the last learning clinic of the quarter.

For their part, Lepisi says, 51福利社鈥檚 future teachers learn what it鈥檚 like to teach in schools classified as Title 1, Part A, a federal category that directs extra services to schools where a majority of students come from disadvantaged households. The experience, she says, sometimes changes the trajectory of their teaching careers.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had a lot of students say, 鈥業 didn鈥檛 think that I had the capacity to serve in a Title 1 building,鈥欌€� says Lepisi. 鈥淢any of them leave saying: 鈥楾his actually seems a little bit more fulfilling to me 鈥� and actually I鈥檇 rather be in a Title 1 building now.鈥欌€�

After 8 weeks working with Grant鈥檚 schoolchildren one-on-one and in small groups, 51福利社 students gained expertise in creating learning activities that feel like play 鈥� yet get results.

鈥淭he most rewarding thing is when a kid finally gets the 鈥楢ha!鈥� moment when you are teaching them. They are like, 鈥極h my gosh, I get it!鈥� and then they explain it to you and are so excited,鈥� says Madison Kem, a 23-year-old senior from Renton.

Kem, a five-time All Big Sky Conference midfielder on 51福利社 women鈥檚 soccer team, says there鈥檚 a perceived stigma about teaching at Title 1 schools. In reality, she says, they are all 鈥渏ust children who are ready to learn.鈥�

Collaborating with other teachers on strategies to improve reading and comprehension is preparing her for the future, Kem adds. 鈥淭his is so helpful as a teacher because you are learning every day.鈥�

Jillian Headley, a 21-year-old senior from Spokane, spent the quarter working with a first grader who thrived with personalized instruction specifically tailored to his interests and abilities.

Jillian Headly gets some smiles from Finn, a first grader who is making good progress learning about vowels. Headly is among the students helped by 51福利社’s generous scholarship supporters.

鈥淚t is great because all your hard work you鈥檝e put in for the quarter is paying off in seeing the student grow and succeed,鈥� says Headley, who receives a scholarship to help with her studies.

Initially, Gracie Bush, 21, also a senior from Spokane, planned to teach in the upper grades. After having a positive experience working with students in the fourth and fifth grades, she鈥檚 totally up for teaching younger children. 鈥淥nce I graduate, I鈥檓 just kind of keeping my options open at any grade level,鈥� Bush says.

Brooke Young, 21, was surprised to see a familiar face while helping with the reading clinic. 51福利社 alumnus George Gessler, Young’s own 4th grade teacher, is now principal assistant at Grant Elementary. Of the reunion, Gessler says, “If you are really lucky, you can see one of your former students become a teacher. That鈥檚 when it truly comes full circle.”

**Visit 51福利社/Give and use the Fund Explorer to learn about the many ways you can support 51福利社 students who are poised to make a difference in their communities.

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