pirates, storytelling and makin'ze'difference

[thoreau]

Last month I started volunteering for the 826 Valencia project here in SF. It is a nonprofit "dedicated to supporting students 6 to 18 with their writing skills. It's a program to help students get excited about writing." They pair students with writers (like me) to teach in a gentle way that good writing skills are fundamental building blocks to a successful future. Until this program - I had very little patience for "kids" - but it's brought a whole new mentoring side out in me I love very much. It makes me wish I'd thought about getting a elementary teaching certification. The best part about it all - is that it's all pirate themed. So at the gig I'm "RRRRRRRRRRRROBERT" :) LOL! and the kids love it - "Hey RRRRRRRRRRRROBERT" they'll say. I tutor on Thursday afternoons and sometimes on Sunday afternoons if kids ask me to come in. While I can't type kids names (confidentiality and all) I can say - that these 'city kids' have a very unique world view - and it feeds me a lot to work with them.

Today I went in for my formal evaluation before I'm allowed to tutor and work on new projects without a "pirate buddy." It went well. They say that I resort to humor a bit too much - and to take a more scholarly tone. Not a major criticism - but - they said - I tend to have the loudest group. (go figure huh?) But - they've invited me to get involved in a couple of their 'new for 2008' projects. I'd suggested a "make your own font" workshop for middle school and high school kids - talking about the power of type and then helping each student develop his or her own true type font. So they'd leave with the "bobmcdiarmid" font they could then load onto their computers and share with friends and family. So I'll start developing that class. I'll also work with them on 'storytelling field trips'. 826 Valencia hosts groups of elementary school students for "writing a short story in two hours" - but the best part? is that they have professional illustrators and book binders in who illustrate the story for each pair of kids and each kid leaves with a bound book. Very cool. Well - - each of these field trips is hosted by a "THE EDITOR" a theatrical character who helps the kids pick the "right" illustrator and the "right" typesetter. and dramatically reads each short story at the end of the session. (8 - 12 three page short stories) The readings are recorded and MP3s are cut to CD for the students to take home. So - they've invited me to play "THE EDITOR" at some of their workshops (when my day job will let me go because it's a daytime gig). Honestly - they couldnt' have found two projects that fit my skills and interests better. and I'll continue to tutor on Thursdays and Sundays.

I am so thrilled to be part of such a fun program.

I'd be interested in hearing how other people on LJ volunteer. We recently had to tabulate how many volunteer hours we put in for a work project - and I was honestly - shocked to hear how little people volunteer. I mean - I know "what works for me doesn't work for everyone else" - - but that said. I think volunteering is very important part of being an adult in today's society.

So how do others help out? (and that includes - do you donate clothes? or money to a charity rather than do in person time?) Discuss!!

Comments

[paulintoronto.livejournal.com]

I don't remember whether I've mentioned it since you started reading my blog, but I volunteer for an organization in Toronto called PAL Reading Services. We make audio recordings for print-handicapped people. (Mostly low-vision or blind people, but also sometimes people with learning disabilities.) Every Friday I go to the office and spend two hours or so reading aloud into a computer. Mostly we do university course packs of essays and articles. Today, I recorded half of an essay by Judith Butler and then a whole essay by Cheryl Chase, both of which were about gender issues. Over the years I've recorded tons of interesting things in many disciplines, and I believe that I get at least as much as, if not more that the clients out of the work. I've also been on the PAL board for several years, the last three as President.

Apart from that, I don't have much time for much volunteering except for serving as the union local president in my school, which takes up bits of time at work, along with one after school meeting per month and (usually) two weekend meetings per year.

Your project sounds like fun. At the moment, though, I have such a huge pile of papers to mark that I find it hard to remember the pleasure.

By the way: I was 32 when I became a teacher, and there were people older than me at the Faculty of Education. So you don't need to rule it out. I know that there is huge variations across the US, but I have the sense that in California teaching is relatively well paid. And because of teacher shortages, it is possible that you might be able to get a teaching job without having a teaching degree.