Making a Difference One Kid at a Time - Riff Ram Reading
It all started with one outstanding fact. In Tarrant County, only 33% of 3rd graders can read at grade level. This year in the Neeley Leadership Program was our year to create an impact project and make a difference in the community and maybe even the world. My group and I decided to focus on elementary education and when we found that statistic, we knew we wanted to tackle the reading issue surrounding the community we live in.
We created a program called Riff Ram Reading. Every Thursday afternoon we go to an elementary school just down the road from TCU and have our volunteers act as mentors to the kids. We found through our research that one of the most important parts of learning as a child is feeling like you are in a safe space so we wanted to create that with having mentors come every week, get to know the child and spend time reading with them. I am proud to say that we now have 39 kids participating and 37 college mentors. We kicked the program off just 6 weeks ago and we have already provided 169 service hours at George C. Clarke Elementary School.
This whole experience has been fulfilling and heart-warming to see the difference TCU students are making in these children’s lives. We have seen so many of them break out of their shells especially one on one with their mentors.
While this was a year-long project we were assigned to do, my group and I were very passionate about this issue and I believe that we have created a sustainable project that will continue on past this semester. There have been bumps in the road and we are still ironing out details but we are excited to keep seeing this program grow into something huge.
The Neeley Leadership Program has a done a great job in structuring the program so we work hard to make a difference in the community. I am grateful for the support of many people behind Riff Ram Reading, the best team I have ever worked on, and all of our kiddos and most importantly our volunteers. Everyone in the world is capable of making a difference to even just one person, so lets do it!
Chief Data & Analytics Officer Group - Dallas | Community Program Manager for Gartner C-Level Communities
4 年Mackenzie, I loved reading your article and watching your group find success throughout the entire impact project experience. I know we all faced challenges in dealing with this project but I wanted to applaud you and your group on being able to stay ahead of the curve and creating something truly powerful. I also do believe you all have found a way to create a sustainable project which is so important. Congrats again on your success with Riff Ram Reading and I look forward to seeing how it does in the future.
Entreprenuer with Consulting, Corporate, Non-Profit, and Higher Education Experience
4 年Loved how well you were able to create momentum among groups of people! Well done.