FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2008
Media Contact: George Cagala (760) 750-4012
 
President Jimmy Carter Honors CSUSM’s Tutor Connection Program

The Tutor Connection Program at California State University San Marcos was honored with a $10,000 check by Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter June 3 at the National Conference of Corporation for National & Community Service in Atlanta, GA. As one of three national finalists, the program was also designated a certified Carter Partnership “by virtue of having met the qualifying standards for excellence in academic campus-community collaboration.”

Tutor Connection is a first-of-a-kind program aimed at preparing future teachers to address the special needs of foster children. Since starting in 2002, 1,250 student teachers have increased reading scores significantly for 69 percent of 1,500 foster children and increased standard scores in at least one subject for over 80 percent. Student teachers visit the homes of foster children and assist them with their studies. The long term potential will be realized as a large number of teachers enter the profession with direct prior experience with the skills needed to help foster children succeed.

"When these student volunteers go out and become teachers in the communities, they will have had direct experience with vulnerable children with whom they will often come in contact,” said Rosalynn Carter, “so I'm very proud of this finalist."

Accepting the check was CSUSM College of Education Professor John Halcon and Michelle Lustig, San Diego County Office of Education, along with CSUSM student Tanja Bickel, and Valerie Knox and Darci Strother of the Community Service Learning office.

The funds will be used to establish an endowment for the purchase of gasoline cards. The gas cards will help reduce some of the transportation expenses CSUSM student tutors incur in driving to and from the homes of foster youth needing assistance.

 “The students have been bearing the burden of gas costs for a long time,” said Darci Strother, director of the Community Service Learning Program of which Tutor Connection is a part, “and this will help defray some of those costs.”

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