Experience Corps Opens Doors for Young and Old Alike

In 1998, GHCC founded the Experience Corps program in a small handful of Greater Homewood elementary schools.  Since then, the program has expanded to 19 schools citywide and almost 400 older adult volunteers.


Experience Corps places adults over 55 in K-3 classrooms  as mentors, a model that has increased test scores and improved school climate in Baltimore City schools where the program operates.  Here we hear from Experience Corps member Richard Przybyszewski, who volunteers at Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School #215 and was recently awarded an internship to teach in Poland this summer.


Submitted by Richard Przybyszewski


I spent over 20 years at Forbush High School at Sheppard Pratt Hospital, a Level 5 Special Education school.  I never thought I would be setting foot in another classroom -- let alone an elementary school classroom -- until Experience Corps came along. It has been nearly four years now since I joined Experience Corps.

In making a decision to apply for the grant to study in Poland, it was my experience in Experience Corps that gave me the confidence to apply and realize I could offer students in Poland what I was experiencing in the classroom in Baltimore. Nothing can ever duplicate the experience of the cultural diversity at 215, along with the different levels of the students and their learning skills. Students with special needs along with students above their grade level. Then toss into the mix the learning curve I have experienced by sharing and observing with the wonderful teachers.


It is my understanding that over 700 people applied for the internship program with just about 60 applicants including myself accepted.  My experience with Experience Corps became a large part of my final application.


My summer internship program is administered by the Koscziuszko Foundation, a Polish American philanthropic organization primarily for the advancement of Polish Americans and Polish culture. They have several exchange programs that last anywhere from several weeks a couple of years. Their programs range from medicine to the arts, politics, and education. I will be receiving college credit through a cooperative effort with Towson State University. My program lasts for a little over six weeks, starting in mid-July. 


I start out with four weeks in Warsaw, the Polish capital, where I will be teaching elementary school students. My final weeks will be spent in Krakow, the cultural capital of Poland, where I will be teaching English as a second language to Polish high school students. 


My trip to Poland will also enable me to visit relatives and do some sight seeing. The Foundation gives me a stipend along with living expenses supplied by the Polish government during my stay. I have been to Poland several times in the past, but all while it was under Communist rule. This will be my first time back to Poland as a Democracy.

Experience Corps to Host Community Conversation on MLK Day

On January 18, offices and schools close their doors to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Yet in the spirit of Dr. King, Experience Corps is making it a day on, not a day off.

At 10:00 a.m., Experience Corps members will gather to share their experiences before and during the civil rights movement with students and members of the community.  City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will appear as a special guest at the event, followed by a short video and roundtable discussions.  The event on MLK Day will jump start dialogue between Experience Corps members and students, continuing through one-on-one interviews at the 20 Experience Corps schools.  

This intergenerational MLK Day event is being billed as a conversation with members about their experiences with the civil rights movement, with a goal of beginning dialogue about experiences before the Civil Rights Act as well as how life has changed since.  

Wide Angle Youth Media students are capturing the event on film and will capture select close-ups of the student interviews. 

The event and larger service project are focused on connecting generations and spotlighting the living history around us.  The project brings awareness to the younger generation through the student interviews while also making this historical and influential movement more approachable for students.  Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how the work of Martin Luther King, Jr. affected Baltimore City residents.  Join your neighbors and friends for a morning of conversation and reflection.  Bring the entire family!

For more information on this event, click here to visit GHCC's website.

Experience Corps Begins a New Year!

Today, Experience Corps Team Leaders returned to Baltimore City Public Schools to meet with teachers and assess needs for the upcoming school year. And you thought it was still summer, didn't you? Team Leaders are Experience Corps members who have been promoted to coordinate the volunteer team in their school. In addition to providing general support for the volunteers, Team Leaders interface with the staff and administration to maintain a positive relationship between the Program and the school.

Above all, Team Leaders help to ensure a win-win relationship between the school staff, students, and volunteers. Thanks in no small part to their hard work, volunteers like Sandra Davis at Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School have many success stories to tell about their experience. Here, Davis reflects on her first year as an Experience Corps member and looks forward to returning this year:

When I first walked into Ms. Jirsa's kindergarten class back in January 2009, I saw 16 pairs of eyes looking up at me. I thought, "oh my! What have I gotten myself into?" But as the days and weeks passed, it was very rewarding. This is how it went:

You see, coming to a school three days a week and working side by side with a pleasant and wonderful teacher helped a lot. It opened my eyes early on to how important it is to bond with your teacher and students. It creates a most fulfilling atmosphere for teaching and learning. It also stabilizes good behavior and enhances the student's learning abilities in the classroom. What makes it exciting and rewarding is to see those little eyes gleaming with joy when you tell them, "job well done."

The best feeling I get out of this program is knowing most students will move on to the next grade well instructed and knowledgeable. And I, as a volunteer, will still have constructive knowledge to give the next group of students in the fall.

If the above situation does not exist in the classroom, the the program is not effective. Our presence and expertise is definitely needed in our schools.

Thank you Experience Corps and Margaret Brent administrators for filling in the void after retirement!

Photos from Experience Corps End-of-Year Member Appreciation Luncheon

Experience Corps members were treated to a luncheon in their honor and a keynote speech by Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings last week. This much-anticipated annual event gives Experience Corps staff and supporters an opportunity to say "thank you" to the over 300 older adult volunteers who give life to the program. Following is the first batch of photos from the event. Watch our Facebook page and YouTube channel for more this week!

Experience Corps Team Leader Jean Sherrod visits with Congressman Cummings following his keynote speech.



Hundreds of Experience Corps volunteers line up for a buffet lunch in their honor.



Experience Corps staff member and former volunteer Michael Burke receives a very special signature from Elijah Cummings.



Experience Corps members and supporters -- along with a news camera -- wait for Elijah Cummings' keynote speech to begin.

To get involved or learn more about Experience Corps, visit our website.

"It Takes Just a Little Love"

We just couldn't resist posting this story from Madge Wilson, Experience Corps volunteer at Margaret Brent Elementary/Middle School #53 in Charles Village. Ms. Wilson works with the third graders at Margaret Brent and has been with the program for several years.

Experience Corps places adults over 55 in kindergarten through third grade classrooms in public schools throughout Baltimore City. These older volunteers, who spend at least 15 hours per week in the classroom, act as a calming force in an environment where children tend to bring a great deal of baggage with them to school. In addition to helping one-on-one with reading and math, Experience Corps members are trusted adults to whom the students often confide their struggles and joys. To learn more about the program or get involved, visit our website.

Here is Ms. Wilson's story account of her recent experiences at Margaret Brent:

First thing when I enter the classroom I say "good morning." I try to observe [the children] before I start helping with math or reading.

This one little boy is always disrupting the classroom. After working with him for a few weeks I could see a little change. One morning when I came in, the first thing he greeted me with was "I was good this morning!" "Great!" I said, "let's keep it that way for the rest of the day."

Some may give you a hug, and some don't want to speak. It is not always easy, but with a lot of encouragement we can make it. Another morning this little girl was not looking happy. I went and asked her if she was sick. Her answer was "no," then she looked up at me and said, "Ms. Wilson, my grandfather died." I went and told the teacher, and at the end of the day with the teacher's permission I told the children that they should give her a hug. That put a smile on her face. Despite their behavior, behind their little heads they know that you are there to help them -- and that's what counts.

Experience Corps on Front Page of The Baltimore Sun

Congratulations to GHCC's Experience Corps program, which has received great press via a front-page article in the Baltimore Sun on April 14 as well as a mention in the Sun's InsideEd blog. The article highlights the results of a national study conducted by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, and complements studies by researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

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!

Experience Corps: A Great Experience!

by Muriel Williams, Experience Corps Member, William Pinderhughes Elementary School

My name is Muriel Williams, an Experience Corps school volunteer since February 2007.

After retiring from the Baltimore Times, I knew I had to do something...I couldn't sit home any longer. My work as a editor/reporter, however, never prepared me for what I'd signed on to do: volunteer at an inner-city elementary school.

The first year, I worked in the computer lab and had limited access to the children. This year? WOW!! I am assigned to a third-grade class -- the largest (30+) in the entire school.

There are three other adults in the classroom besides the teacher and we all have our work cut out for us...but not in ways you might think. The children work hard to learn, despite their problems. Additionally, they truly appreciate my presence.



Another Experience Corps member at Medfield Heights Elementary School. Photo by Matthew Ciseselski.

As a journalist, I lunched with celebrities; met presidents; traveled the country; even witnessed history in the making, but none of these experiences compare to my volunteering at Wm. Pinderhughes Elementary School. The children are unbelievable...even the ones who give you trouble, but they more than make up for it when they proudly show off a good grade, or are recognized for extra effort, or give you an unexpected hug.

I look foward to getting up in the morning, knowing I'm going to be part of these children's lives -- if only for a few hours a week.