“I CAN'T BELIEVE IT.”
If you’ve been around UrbanPromise Charlotte for awhile, you know that we take our commitment to provide quality literacy instruction very seriously. It’s one of the most important facets of our programming, and we do everything we can to help our students grow!
One of the tools we use to support students is called HELPS — a scripted curriculum designed to be used one-on-one with students to help them improve their oral reading fluency. Our StreetLeader “Literacy Leads” go through a training on the program, and then they’re able to implement it with their younger peers!
Back in early March (just before COVID-19 turned the world upside down), Bryan, a StreetLeader “Literacy Lead” at our South Boulevard Site, was asked to step out of class by Christine, our Literacy Facilitator. He wasn’t sure what the meeting was about.
“It’s about R,” Christine told him. “I wanted you to know first.”
R, a fifth grader, has been receiving HELPS instruction for TWO YEARS, and Bryan has been her one-on-one tutor.
"Today, for the first time, R TESTED ON GRADE LEVEL IN READING."
Bryan's response to the news was authentic in its simplicity and awe: “I can’t believe it."
Oftentimes when we’re working towards an outcome, the progress can feel very slow. When you seem to be moving just one small inch at a time, how can you be sure you’re really going anywhere at all?
The next day Christine asked Bryan to share his special update in the daily pre-camp meeting with all of the StreetLeaders. With emotion in his voice, he told his peers the news.
“THIS IS WHY WE DO IT.”
THANK YOU for your support of UrbanPromise Charlotte! Now more than ever, supporting our students academically, emotionally, and spiritually is making an enormous difference. When we think about students like R, we echo Bryan's response.
SHE IS WHY WE DO IT... and we couldn't do it without YOU!