Apr 05 2010
Experience Corps Pairs Older Tutors with Young Students in Need
I just learned of a wonderful program that trains adults ages 55+ to volunteer in classrooms, tutoring children from in reading and math. It’s called Experience Corps, and it currently operates in 22 cities, with 2,000 volunteers serving nearly 20,000 students. Unfortunately, none of those 22 cities is in Florida, but according to the group’s website, they hope to double in scope in the next five years, and with our large population of older adults in Florida, it seems likely they would establish a program in our state.
That sounds like a win-win for everyone involved – young and old. A study of the program by Johns Hopkins University found that older Americans can delay or actually reverse brain aging at a neurological level by tutoring young children in reading and math. The study involved Experience Corps volunteers working in Baltimore City schools.
“We found that participating in Experience Corps resulted in improvements in cognitive functioning and this was associated with significant changes in brain activation patterns,” said study leader Michelle Carlson. “Essentially the intervention improved brain and cognitive function in these older adults.” Carlson is now expanding her research to see if the program can directly impact the volunteer’s risk of developing dementia.
Additional studies indicate the kids are also benefiting from this program. Researchers at Washington University in St. Louise found that over a single school year, students with Experience Corps tutors made over 60 percent more progress in learning two critical reading skills – sounding out new words and reading comprehension – than similar students not served by the program.