From the October 16, 1996 Daily Report Card:
-> *5   INTERGENERATION LEARNING:  SENIORS AND STUDENTS IN ST. LOUIS   A
-> program that uses retired people to volunteer as tutors
-> for St. Louis, Mo., elementary school children is ready to expand to
-> a middle school (Jarrett, St. Louis POST-DISPATCH, 10/10).
-> The Older Adult Service Information System (OASIS) is a
-> nationwide program that began in 1982 when Marilyn Mann
-> recognized the need for retired people to become more involved in
-> activities.
->    "This program makes these retirees feel so good," said Phyl
-> Coffel, a coordinator for OASIS.  "I've had them say it gives
-> them a reason to get up in the morning. ... It's a ripple effect. The
-> tutor feels good, the child feels good, and it spreads to the
-> classroom," she added
->    OASIS began in Parkway elementary schools in 1989, and
-> currently boasts 140 tutors.  The senior citizens are trained by
-> OASIS to serve as tutors.  "We pair them [tutor and student] one-
-> on-one in a private place," said Coffel.  "The children respond to
-> the grandparent figure, and they eventually participate more in class
-> because of that on-on-one experience of being valued and listened
-> to."
->    Two years ago, several middle school principals approached
-> Coffel to ascertain OASIS' interest in tutoring in middle
-> schools.  Parkway South Middle School counselor Shari Sieve and a
-> group of sixth-grade teachers developed the SMART program --
-> Successful Mentor Adolescent Reading Teams.  "We plan for the
-> SMART program to fill the needs of middle school children much
-> the same way that OASIS does for the kindergarten-through-third-
-> garde student:  one child at a time," said Coffel.
->    Currently, OASIS works with 14 St. Louis area school
-> districts and several Catholic and Luthern schools, noted Pat
-> Gilbert, OASIS intergeneration program director.  "Nationwide, we
-> work with 60 school districts in 16 cities," she added.
->    The May Department Stores Co. sponsors OASIS nationally.
-> Famous-Barr and BJC Health Systems as sponsors in the St. Louis area.
-> Anheuser Busch also provides money for the tutoring
-> program, writes the paper.
--- PCBoard (R) v15.22/M 10
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