Volunteers needed to help local students from home
Here’s a way to participate in the education of our youth. The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System has partnered with ePals, Inc. to introduce an e-mentoring program called In2Books to 50 3rd-5th grade classrooms this fall.
Adult e-mentors (you) are paired with a 3rd, 4th or 5th grade student (a pen pal) and introduced online. Over the course of the academic year, you and your pen pal will read five books, exchanging emails along the way to discuss the books. (For a quick video demo, check out this blog)
You can be a pen pal without leaving your home or office! Here’s how it works:
1. At the beginning of the school year you’ll be matched with a student and you will exchange “getting to know you” letters via the In2Books website.
2. Your student will select his or her first book, and you’ll be notified by email what book you should read. You can purchase the book or find it at a local library.
3. Next you’ll write an online letter to your student about the book. Pen Pal Place, the In2Books website dedicated to pen pals, will provide you with instruction, tips and examples to get you started.
4. Once the teacher has approved your letter, the student will read it and respond back.
5. The process is then repeated for the next four books.
The program, a pilot for Savannah, fosters reading, writing, and critical thinking skills by connecting engaged mentors with children in the classroom.
Here’s how to sign up to volunteer for a Savannah student:
1. Go here and click on the in2books ICON to begin the registration process. Note: for the safety of students you will be required to complete a background check.
2. Be sure to enter Savannah from the dropdown list when asked for your affiliation on the registration page.
3. The next step takes you to the background check page. Make sure you use the following promotion code SAV469 on the background check page.