Urban Hope announced that it will implement a new literacy tutoring initiative during Camp Urban Hope, the organization’s eight-week free summer camp program. 

The tutoring initiative will focus on those children entering first through third grades in the fall.  Tutors will work with small groups of 3-4 children and each group will receive two 30-minute tutoring sessions each week for the duration of the summer camp.  All tutors have completed literacy training, learning how to effectively use leveled readers and manipulatives designed to strengthen key reading skills such as vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency.  The tutoring component was funded in part by The Susan W. Thompson Literacy Fund, a fund of the Savannah Community Foundation. 

“According to The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the average low-income student loses more than two months in reading achievement over the summer.  This summer learning loss sets disadvantaged students, often already reading below grade level, even further behind when they return to school in the fall,” states Kevin Smith, the consultant who developed the tutoring initiative for Urban Hope.  “However, studies show that summer learning programs can produce statistically significant gains in reading performance in as little as six weeks, so we’re extremely pleased to offer children high-impact literacy tutoring to help combat the loss this summer.”  

This summer, the tutoring sessions will be delivered by Urban Hope staff and several volunteers.  “Next year, we hope to greatly increase the number of volunteers serving as tutors,” says Covardis Broadie, Urban Hope’s Site Manager, “as another means to engage the community.”