Aslan
has developed a very successful and highly respected mentor/tutorial
program which presently serves over 70 at-risk children. Aslan volunteers
work one-on-one with their students and provide important academic
assistance. This tutoring goes far beyond providing assistance with
regular schoolwork, as Aslan tutors spend quality time during the
week and on weekends as mentors for their students , providing much-needed
emotional and spiritual support that the children desperately need.
Most of the Aslan children come from single parent homes with no
father present. Some Aslan kids live with relatives or in foster
care and do not have an adult who will guide them in their learning.
The real power of the tutoring program therefore comes from this
one-to-one interaction between the tutor and the student. Aslan
provides children with their own special mentor to encourage them
and help them believe that with hard work and determination, they
can succeed.
In the fall of 1996, Aslan began a cooperative enrichment program
with Monmouth University in which college students mentor and
tutor Aslan children from the public housing projects in Long
Branch. This exposes students from severely impoverished environments
with the opportunity to experience life on a university campus.
In 2001, Aslan and Monmouth expanded this program to another day
to include our children from the public housing projects of Asury
Park.
During 1996, Aslan also started a peer tutoring program in which
students from Christian Brothers Academy and other area high schools
serve as mentors and tutors for Aslan youth. This pairing of youth
from very different economic and social backgrounds goes a long
way in promoting understanding and cooperation between young people.
In 2002, Aslan also established another tutoring program for
Asbury youth. Through this intense, one-on-one program, we have
seen a tremendous improvement in the lives of the children who
participate. Each year the 13 children reached have increased
between one and two grade levels in their reading skills! Some
have seen even more significant improvement.
On Monday evenings and Tuesday afternoons, Aslan operates its
flagship program in Red Bank, NJ. Tutors pick their Aslan students
up at their homes and drive them to the schools where tutoring
is held. Through assistance from Red Bank Middle School and Primary
School teachers, we tailor our program to address each student’s
individual needs. Pre- and post-testing with materials we have
developed helps us track each student’s progress through
the school year.
Aslan’s October 2007 through May 2008 tutorial sessions will be held on the following
days:
Monday Evenings - 6:30-8:30 at Red Bank Middle School ·
Tuesday Afternoons - 3:15-5:00 at Red Bank
Primary School
Wednesday Afternoons – 3:30-5:00 Asbury Park children at
Ballard United Methodist Church
Serving
as an Aslan tutor is a rewarding experience and a very direct
way to have impact on your community without an overwhelming time
commitment (only 2 hours per week). For more information on the
program and how you can volunteer, contact Claudia Ackerman, Director
of Mentor/Tutorial services for Aslan, at (732) 741-7824.
Aslan
has developed a very successful and highly respected mentor/tutorial
program which presently serves over 70 at-risk children. Aslan volunteers
work one-on-one with their students and provide important academic
assistance. This tutoring goes far beyond providing assistance with
regular schoolwork, as Aslan tutors spend quality time during the
week and on weekends as mentors for their students , providing much-needed
emotional and spiritual support that the children desperately need.
Most of the Aslan children come from single parent homes with no
father present. Some Aslan kids live with relatives or in foster
care and do not have an adult who will guide them in their learning.
The real power of the tutoring program therefore comes from this
one-to-one interaction between the tutor and the student. Aslan
provides children with their own special mentor to encourage them
and help them believe that with hard work and determination, they
can succeed.
Serving
as an Aslan tutor is a rewarding experience and a very direct
way to have impact on your community without an overwhelming time
commitment (only 2 hours per week). For more information on the
program and how you can volunteer, contact Claudia Ackerman, Director
of Mentor/Tutorial services for Aslan, at (732) 741-7824.