Rosalie Manor Community & Family Service's Newest Addition: Safe Places

Rosalie Manor Community & Family Services has recently expanded our services to include Safe Places, an after school tutoring program for students in first through third grades. Safe Places was designed to meet the community's need for a caring, safe place for children during the after school hours before their parents return from work. Safe Places allows children to stay at their school during these crucial hours, while receiving valuable tutoring and homework help.

Safe Places is part of the "Let's Read!" Milwaukee initiative of Milwaukee Public Schools. The goal of Safe Places is to improve students' scores on the Wisconsin Third Grade Reading Test by providing one-on-one tutoring. The benefit of one-on-one tutoring is that children receive the individual attention needed to strengthen their confidence and ability while looking up to adult role models who express and interest in reading. Milwaukee Public Schools currently has 24 "Let's Read!" sites in Milwaukee, and Rosalie Manor Community & Family Services is co-sponsoring two of them: 38th Street School and Westside Academy I.

Safe Places has been operating in 38th Street School since mid-November, and teachers are already seeing positive changes in their students. "This is great reinforcement for what they've learned during the day," commented Steve Helmer, a teacher from the school. In addition to academics, students in Safe Places are improving in other areas of their lives. Another teacher who has students enrolled in the program commented, "I've seen immense growth in kids in my classroom who are in the program . . . they've benefited both socially and mentally." Cynthia works with Safe Places and also has several students from her class enrolled in the program. She believes that staying after school has been a social boost for many children. "Kids who are withdrawn or have behavior problems are getting a lot out of this. Their teachers say that they talk more in class and participate more in what's happening. We ask them how their day went and what they did in class, and I think this helps them think more about what they're doing."

One of the strengths of Safe Places is that it is staffed by teachers from the school who know the students. These teachers are able to provide valuable instruction to children who might otherwise be "lost" in a large classroom. The program is also a chance for students and teachers to interact in a relaxed atmosphere during the recreation time. Cynthia has found that the students benefit from contact with the adults in the program. "It's good for them to relate with different adults in the school throughout the week. They can tell us about how their day went or what happened in their classroom." In addition, having some of the same teachers during the day and after school gives the children a stable environment to look forward to each day. Another strength of the program is that it allows teachers to work with student son special projects during the after school hours. Bryan, another teacher who works with Safe Places, feels that, "it is nice to offer opportunities that the students don't get within the regular classroom, such as research projects, reading and math games, even word processing skills.

Along with teachers, there are other individuals who make a difference in the lives of the children. Volunteer tutors work with students for one hour after school. Students and tutors have developed amazing bonds in just a few months. One tutor remarked, "I can't believe how excited she is to see me every day! She'll be reading a book or playing a game when I walk into the room, but once I'm there, she'll leave whatever she's doing to spend time with me and read the books we've picked out together."

All volunteers take part in a free tutor training session, where they are provided with resource manuals, sample games and activities, and a general overview of tutoring. Some of our tutors have gone above and beyond what they learned in training by adding their own special flair. Some bring in personal snapshots that relate to the stories they are reading, or reread their own favorite childhood books with the students. Sue has been volunteering since Safe Places began, and has a lot of praise for the program. "One-on-one tutoring really makes a difference . . . it's amazing how much a child's reading can improve from even one or two sessions. I think that's the best part of this program. Plus, it's nice for adults who have no other link to the school system to have a way to connect with kids."

We would like to thank the wonderful group of staff and volunteers who are working with the program. Without their time and effort, Safe Places would not be what it is today: a great option for kids in the after school hours - a place where they can learn, meet friends, and grow as individuals.