2006 NRTA With Our Youth! Award Recipients
The NRTA With Our Youth! program is a volunteer service initiative implemented by retired educators associations and open to 50+ adults nationwide. Volunteers work with children and youth to provide meaningful educational and life-skills support. NRTA With Our Youth! was formed in response to the 1997 Presidents' Summit for America's Future, at which the NRTA network made a three-year pledge to provide 45 million volunteer service hours with 1.5 million youth in 2,000 communities. Since 1999, it has reached more than 2.5 million youth in 42 states.
The NRTA With Our Youth! program continues to grow and expand. Through these efforts, youth have been inspired to reach their full potential because an adult took the time to be a part of their lives.
The Seventh Annual NRTA With Our Youth! Awards were presented in Washington, DC on August 21, 2006 during NRTA's national leadership and community service conference. Award recipients included:
2006 With Our Youth! Excellence Award
State
South Carolina Education Association - Retired
Albert Einstein stated, "Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." In South Carolina, retired educators and school personnel are demonstrating that they truly are living their lives for others. In an environment of statewide testing for reading, writing and mathematics, skilled volunteers dedicated to tutoring and mentoring are a highly prized commodity. In schools, churches and summer camps throughout the state, each year, retired educators are tutoring and mentoring well over 40,000 students.
Additionally, more than 100 trained retired educator lobbyists work steadily to stop public funding of voucher programs that support private and religious schools. SCEA-R also supported full funding of the Education Finance Act and the Education Improvement Act. For the first time in six years, all of the funding was put in place.
SCEA-R members not only commit their time, skills and knowledge, but also donate school and hygiene supplies to Girls' and Boys' Homes, Children's Shelters and summer camps for underprivileged children. They provide resources and supplies for global projects such as Operation Tsunami. SCEA-R gives over 12 scholarships each year that include money for college visitation and $1,000 annual scholarships (over four years) for prospective teachers.
They also support the "Showers for Scholars" program which provides much needed supplies to students. Thanks to these individuals "living their lives for others," they not only meet children's physical, emotional and academic needs, they also contribute to the rising test scores at South Carolina Public Schools.
Local
Escambia County Retired Teachers Association
Alabama
The Escambia County Retired Teachers Association represents a committed connection to the words of the inspirational leader Martin Luther King, Jr., who once said, "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all of humanity."
In Escambia County, retired teachers are addressing the broader concerns of humanity by embracing the academic struggles of the children in their surrounding communities. They established the "Student Support Learning Center" in the basement of local church. Many of the "in-need" students did not have transportation to the center, so the retirees devised a program to bring the center to them. A team of retired mathematics, language arts, science and social studies teachers worked from Baptist Hill Church, four hours each evening, four days a week. Armed with three telephones, three computers and five cell phones, retirees provided significant support and assistance. If students came in person, called or sent an email, each one received an immediate response. In its charter year, volunteers fielded more than 500 queries.
Thanks to the commitment of this local association, 54 students from 9 county schools received personalized tutoring and their grades reflected the outcome of the outstanding service they received. Escambia County Retired Teachers provided the furnishings, computers, telephones, supplies and most of all, they provided a unique service of individualized educational concern.
Trumbull Retired Teachers Association
A well-known African proverb states, "It takes a village to raise a child." The members of the Trumbull Retired Teachers Association have fully embraced that belief. Their youth service program has evolved over the years from members' individual ideas to focusing on inspiring the full potential of youth through adult attention and knowledge.
This adult attention begins at the early stages of a child's life. Members participate in a pre-kindergarten workshop that facilitates the educational process by fostering a love of books, familiarizing the children with various printed word examples, and cooperating and sharing ideas within a group setting. Volunteers spearhead the Ohio Reads program, a one-on-one tutoring program that targets intermediate level students identified at risk for passing the proficiency and achievement tests. The students show progress in comprehension and fluency. Volunteers also help judge 4-H booths at the Trumbull County Fair and the countywide spelling bee.
Through intense collection efforts, TRTA members gather clothing for the Poorest of the Poor in Appalachia, provide supplies and handmade throws for a local haven for battered women and children as well as the New Life Maternity home for single expectant mothers. They also recycle hearing aids, cell phones and eyeglasses.
For more than twenty years, TRTA members have awarded funds to students. For the last five years, they have awarded ten $500 scholarships. Trumbull County is one village where the children can count on the collective spirit of retired educators to pave their way to success.
Patrick County Retired Teachers Association
Virginia
If you are a student in Patrick County, most likely, your life has been touched by the services of a retired teacher. Volunteers reported 1,099 hours in service to 1,838 youth through assistance in classrooms and at school events such as science fairs, spelling competitions, book fairs and field trips. Patrick Country Retired Teachers Association members donated a book to each kindergarten student in the county. They volunteer in the broader community through local churches, Child Protection Committees and events such as Smart Choices among Teens, an alcohol-free after prom party. They assisted with the "Reality Store" at the local high school, teaching students what is and is not affordable. They adopted projects such as Samaritan's Purse in which volunteers prepared shoeboxes of toys, school and personnel supplies sent to needy children worldwide.
Volunteers take service to another level by involving youth in community projects. Seventh graders learn to read to pre-schoolers and youth lead church and community activities and visit the sick and elderly. Thanks to PCRTA volunteers, youth develop writing, editing and testing skills. Those interested in the teaching profession are also eligible for scholarships.
These caring volunteers provide on-going relationships in classrooms, churches, and the community. Whether a young person needs clothing, food, tutoring, or companionship from a lunch buddy, Patrick County Retired Teachers are there. They truly embrace the motto of Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, the founder of NRTA and AARP, "To serve, not to be served."
Individual
Sandra Bennett McKinney
South Carolina
Sandra volunteers as a Juvenile Justice Arbitrator with the South Carolina 7th Circuit Solicitor's Office. Over the last seven years, through her diligent study and arbitration, she has kept nearly 100 children out of the Juvenile Court System Detention Center. Each case involves an intense minimum nine-hour study of the offender's file and the related law, an interview with the youth, his or her parents, the victim and the police officers. Sandra develops a plan to address the individual's well-being including, but not limited to, a visit to the state prison, a letter of apology to the victim, community service, curfews and anger management counseling. Upon successful completion of the program, youth may have the offense removed from their records. Her work has resulted in thanks from parents whose children she has saved from involvement in more serious crimes.
Judge James Fraley and Valerie Sullivan, Director of Arbitration, strongly recommended Sandra for recognition, noting the volume of cases she has effectively mediated and stating, "Ms. McKinney has continued to make juvenile arbitration a priority whereas many others could not make it past the training course."
Sandra and her daughter had both encountered bullying in their youth. She now works with her daughter to extensively lobby legislators to include anti-bullying language in the South Carolina Safe School Act. During the first session, Sandra lobbied legislators for two to three hours per week. In the last year alone, she and her daughter wrote 135 letters to Senate and House members, many of which were handwritten. Thanks to Sandra and her daughter, "anti-cyberbullying" is also now a part of the law.
Bill Paul
Wisconsin
In a recent interview nearing the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, Rusty Quave, the mayor of D'Iberville, Mississippi declared, "People want to build back. It's just trying to find the right formula for them to build back." Bill Paul and his colleagues at the Wisconsin Retired Educators' Association found the formula to assist D'Iberville Middle School in building back their library. Hurricane Katrina completely destroyed the books and other resources. Residents of this Gulf Coast town, heavily dependent upon the shrimp industry, faced homes ten feet deep in water.
After taking an initial site visit to the school, Bill concluded, "…the need is great; the cause is real." He presented this need to the members present at the Wisconsin Retired Educators' Association state convention in April 2006. As a continuation of his efforts, he visited local units delivering his message. This work inspired a "red envelope" campaign in his community. Bill continued working with committees, schools and partners statewide. One school in a very small community involved the students in "penny wars" resulting in a donation of $1,380.20. From bake sales to individual donations, teachers across the state responded to his call for assistance.
His own Wausau unit and the area newspaper wrote a feature article on the project. Partnerships emerged. The Wisconsin Media Specialists Association, the Library Association, and the Department of Public Instruction joined the effort. The result? By mid-May, nearly $20,000 to purchase books had been raised. Students from D'Iberville wrote notes of appreciation, "We think it is really great that you are helping us. Wisconsin is a long ways away, but we appreciate what you are doing."
Leola Bouchard and Dolores Dumont
Maine
What do two members of Aroostook County Retired Educators do with their talents in this snowy region of Maine? Leola Bouchard and Dolores Dumont brought the students of Aroostook County to the excitement of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Nordic Skiing World Championship. Every classroom in the county was included in a multi-tiered educational opportunity tied to this international event which features physically disabled athletes. Leola and Dolores prepared and distributed a teaching guide aligned with the goals of the State of Maine Learning Results. Their program covered an expanse of subject areas related to skiing including culture, history, economics, geography, math, science and more.
Both women provided a unique addition to thematic teaching as they worked with the athletes to coordinate school visits to raise awareness about how athletes manage and overcome their physical limitations. The athletes taught students how to focus their energy on challenges, opportunities and dreams. Students understood the courage and strength these athletes possessed, so that they were better able to develop their own skills inside and outside of the classroom.
All 58 schools in Aroostook County from pre-K to grade twelve participated with a total of 1300 students and their teachers attending the events. IPC event director, Nancy Thiboldeau recognized Leola and Dolores for helping them "move another step forward in arousing aspirations for the youth of northern Maine."
2006 With Our Youth! Spirit of Caring Award
Dick and Nella Kincaid
Nebraska
Dick and Nella Kincaid hail from Nebraska, often called "the breadbasket" of the nation for its bountiful wheat harvest. This quiet, unassuming couple spends their lives caring for others. They have dedicated heart, time and skills reaching across the Hastings community much like the "amber waves of grain" that stretch over the landscape of their beautiful state. Whether working in the nursery program at a local church, serving as reading tutors at the public library or mentoring youth in need, Dick and Nella are there.
Dick has used his carpentry skills to build sets for children's musicals and made pine cars for youth to use in the annual car race. He transports children who are not able to come to church activities and tutors Sudanese children new to Hastings. Dick also finds time to help in the classroom and is a volunteer grandparent for vacation bible school.
Nella works intensely with CASA, an initiative for troubled youth connected to foster care. When a child is placed in a home, Nella is there to visit, bring gifts, and provide support to the family. In addition, Nella reviews books for the children's reading list at the library. Together, Dick and Nella, volunteer with "Teammates," a mentoring program which has matched them with individual grade school students. Dick and Nella attend every game, play and school event that includes their teammates all the way through high school graduation.
Famous Nebraskan author Willa Cather stated, "The history of every country begins in the heart of a man or a woman." Let us hope that our country can be defined by the hearts of remarkable volunteers like Dick and Nella Kincaid.
Additional Information
- Submit a nomination for the 2008 With Our Youth! Awards.
- Become a With Our Youth! volunteer. Contact the NRTA national office at 202-434-2380 to receive the free With Our Youth! information kit or email gruiz@aarp.org.
- Additional questions about the winners? Please email rvillarreal@aarp.org or call 202-434-2380.
- Read about past NRTA With Our Youth! Award recipients: 2007 2005 and 2004.
