GHCC has administered Experience Corps in Baltimore City since 1998. In the past school year the program served 20 schools, with over 325 members contributing 158,000 volunteer hours. A partnership between GHCC and The Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, the program has been in Baltimore schools for 10 years and benefits over 7000 students each year.
Success stories abound at each of the Program's 20 schools, like this one from Beatrice Saunders at Waverly Elementary/Middle:
The student that I feel improved the most academically because of Experience Corps is Tommie. I observed in the beginning of the school year that Tommie's problem with staying focused and keeping up with the class was a result of his disorganization and lack of confidence. I first started by helping him straighten out his desk, organizing his papers and notebooks so he could better follow along with the class.
Oftentimes Tommie appeared to be in a daze and showed a lack of interest in keeping up with the other students. The teacher noticed that when I spent time with Tommie he tried harder. I took time to encourage him by telling him that he had to do better in order to pass to the second grade. I also told him he was smart and that he needed to participate in class more so the teacher could see how smart he really was. In observing Tommie four months later I saw great improvement in him. He's now more confident in reading aloud, and he participates more whether his answers are right or wrong. Tommie is just one example of the successful impact of Experience Corps. There are many more I could talk about. I am truly enjoying the life experience. I look forward to seeing the joy I bring to Waverly Elementary each week and the love I receive from everyone there.
Kudos to Experience Corps for a wonderful year!
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