Volunteers in Education

Impact

Program Statistics:

• 1994-1995: 70 community volunteers contributed 9,000 work hours in 31 schools
• 1999-2000: 781 community volunteers contributed 102,276 work hours in 198 schools
• 2007-2008: 1,500 community volunteers contributed 133,000 work hours in 228 schools

Volunteers in Education received the Ottawa Citizen Literacy Foundation's Award - 1999 Organization of the Year and the University of Ottawa's chapter PHI DELTA KAPPA in recognition for an Educational Program of Excellence, 2003-2004

Merit Award: (ITAC Voluntary Sector category) 2006 Showcase Ontario Awards of Excellence

Innovation

Successful Project with Statistics Canada - Classroom Outreach Program:

• Employees are allowed 2 hours of paid leave per week to participate in the program.
• One hundred and fifty participants are currently matched to a preferred activity in a school of their choice in both the Gatineau and Ottawa regions.

Created and expanded the OttawaReads program, a partnership between the schools, business and the community in which volunteers are drawn from the corporate community in a release-time program. This employer supported volunteer program is specifically designed for the Early Literacy Program at the JK/SK and Grade 1 level.

Developed and launched JUMP (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies), a very successful Toronto-based program that is delivered through dedicated volunteer tutors trained in the JUMP method. Volunteers are matched to individual children from low-income families who are having difficulty in math. Since 2004-05 pilot projects have been set up in 37 Ottawa schools.