Youth Achievement Foundation participates in community service
UD students use their talents to help the underpriviledged of the Irving community
Katie Gauthier
Issue date: 11/25/08 Section: News
Each week, 18 UD students give up two hours of their time to help tutor underprivileged fifth graders in the Irving public school district. The Youth Achievement Foundation is not run by UD. Rather, it is a state-wide program geared towards assisting disadvantaged youth by organizing supplementary educational programs that enable them to develop into college educated, upright leaders who serve family and community. According the YAF website, "Our students come from schools receiving extensive Title One support from the Federal Government. We seek struggling students who are capable of performing well, and try to reach them before they become discouraged and quit the system […] Typically our students are failing at least one course or have scored poorly on their Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills test." There are four programs in Irving, Garland, San Antonio and Houston. The Garland and San Antonio programs are run by adults, while the Irving and Houston programs are manned by students from UD and Rice.
UD students help to mentor the children either at Keyes Elementary every Monday afternoon or at Schulze Elementary on Tuesdays. The Irving program has existed since 2003 and is organized by Ray Vales. He said, "I got involved through a friend who is the Executive Director, Joe Walker, who brought it to my attention. I had just retired from business and was seeking a great service opportunity. Joe asked me to start the Irving program. My wife joined me after two years as the program expanded."
A unique characteristic of the program is the long-term commitment of the students and mentors. At the beginning of the year, each mentor is assigned to one or two students, and they remain with those same students for the rest of the year. Therefore, the mentors and students eventually become well acquainted and the mentors are not only role models for the children, but also friends. Most of the children in the program do not have behavioral problems, or learning disabilities, but, because of circumstances at home, social problems at school, or something else, they are below average students in need of special attention. Fifth grade is an important time to be tutoring these children because they will enter middle school the following year, where drugs and social pressures are going to be greater distractions than in elementary school.
UD students help to mentor the children either at Keyes Elementary every Monday afternoon or at Schulze Elementary on Tuesdays. The Irving program has existed since 2003 and is organized by Ray Vales. He said, "I got involved through a friend who is the Executive Director, Joe Walker, who brought it to my attention. I had just retired from business and was seeking a great service opportunity. Joe asked me to start the Irving program. My wife joined me after two years as the program expanded."
A unique characteristic of the program is the long-term commitment of the students and mentors. At the beginning of the year, each mentor is assigned to one or two students, and they remain with those same students for the rest of the year. Therefore, the mentors and students eventually become well acquainted and the mentors are not only role models for the children, but also friends. Most of the children in the program do not have behavioral problems, or learning disabilities, but, because of circumstances at home, social problems at school, or something else, they are below average students in need of special attention. Fifth grade is an important time to be tutoring these children because they will enter middle school the following year, where drugs and social pressures are going to be greater distractions than in elementary school.
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