Support for Children & Schools
Kids, parents, and volunteers loved our Kingston after-school tutoring program for elementary students, which closed down along with the schools back in March. Several tutors have continued to visit the children’s neighborhoods bringing books, games and crafts, and staying to read or play together.
Across Ulster County school children are affected by pandemic-related disruptions, including the 16 % of kids whose home language is Spanish. UIDN knows district personnel are working to ensure students and staff are safe and that instructional methods are effective. And, we’re looking for ways to help.
UIDN volunteers in New Paltz have designed and launched Reading Together, an online one-on-one program for elementary-aged students. The school district and its English as a New Language (ENL) teacher-specialists helped get the project up and running.
For the first session, volunteers visit students and their families in person. Thereafter, sessions are online. Adult and child read together in English with books they each have a copy of. Reading Together is designed to be effective whether the student is learning is online or in a conventional classroom.
Though English language learners (ELLs) may be managing well in Ulster County schools, the opportunity for one-on-one attention to reading skills can be invaluable for boosting both skills and confidence. While the project is still small, but it may grow as parents see results.
Please back Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson
Reading Together pairs students with UIDN volunteers.
If you or someone you know needs child care or learning support for kids while schools are virtual, check out our new resource list.
Nobody Leaves is one of UIDN’s oldest friends. They work for real policy change focusing on officials at the state and local level especially in Ulster, Dutchess, and Orange counties. Nobody Leaves led the effort to establish municipal IDs, which are now available to undocumented immigrants and others in Kingston, Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Woodstock, and Middletown. They helped win the Green Light campaign to regain immigrants’ access to NYS driver’s licenses. Nobody Leaves is a strong advocate for the New York HERO Act, health care for all, affordable housing, Black Lives Matter, and climate justice.
This election year they interviewed state senate candidates in the Mid Hudson, and identified three — Jen Metzger (District 42), Michelle Hinchey (46), and Karen Smythe (41) — who are committed to their goals. Now, they’re using their network to phone and text bank to encourage eligible voters to register, get out the vote, and ensure that all residents complete the 2020 census. Diana Lopez, Ulster County organizer, is eager to attract more volunteers for their work during election season. Email Diana@NobodyLeavesMidHudson.org, or check out their website.