"Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it, and you'll start believing in it."
Jesse Owens, Olympic Legend
Mark Your Calendar
February is Black History Month
RESOURCES ON THE LINK

Coach Zoom Drop-Ins (optional)
Thursday, Feb 16 at 12pm. Please join members of the Literations Program Team for drop-in hours to get advice on any program-related questions that may have popped up in the first weeks of sessions and have some great discussions with other coaches and Literations staff.


February Break
Feb 18 - 26. Literations will not be running coaching sessions either at our schools or Boys & Girls clubs during the February break.

Understanding Social Emotional Learning Workshop (optional)
Thursday, Feb 23 at 4pm. The third in a series of volunteer workshops this school year hosted by AARP Experience Corps. You should record as "training" hours if you attend.


SAVE-THE-DATE: Literations's Lighting the Spark
May 18, 5:30-7:30pm
District Hall, Seaport, Boston
Literations's annual gala is a night for members of the Literations community to come together, celebrate student success, and hear inspiring stories from champions in the field. More details to come...
Our Students Need You
One of our Literations sites, the Boston Renaissance Charter School in Hyde Park, has been hard hit this winter with volunteers who had to step away from coaching for health reasons.

We are looking for coaches at other sites who might have extra time in late February through mid-March to ensure our students sessions continue at the Renaissance while we recruit a few new coaches to backfill the loss.

Are you available on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays to serve a Renaissance student during this transition time? We appreciate any help our wonderful community of volunteers can offer!

Please email our RECRUITMENT TEAM to let us know!

"Never be limited by other people's imaginations."
Dr. Mae Jemison, First African American Female Astronaut
Did You Know?
QUICK TIP OF THE MONTH
5:1 Ratio for Positive Learning

Did you know that students respond best to positive reinforcement?

This month try noticing and highlighting 5 times when your student is demonstrating positive behavior for every 1 time he or she is not.

What does 5:1 look like in practice?

Acknowledge your student for the big (and small!) things - like following directives, engaging in the session, handling the book properly, staying on task, etc.

Point out what they're doing with enthusiasm and stating what you like. "That was great how you came right in and sat down for our session without my having to tell you...thank you!"

Recognize 5 positive behaviors for every 1 corrective behavior, and let us know if you see a difference!
RESEARCH CORNER
Strategies for Unfinished Learning

Did you know that The Education Trust cites that targeted intensive tutoring and strong relationships are two of the most effective (and evidence-based) ways to support students’ academic, social, and emotional needs post-pandemic?

Targeted intensive tutoring is effective for all students, but research shows that younger students benefit the most. The research also shows that students who have access to more strong relationships are more academically engaged, have stronger social skills, and experience more positive behavior.

This research supports that Literations's program design is an effective one to help accelerate students in reaching their reading benchmarks and growing their social emotional learning.

Read on to learn more from THE EDUCATION TRUST.
Watch Volunteer Video!
"It's easier to build strong children than to repair broken [adults]."
Fredrick Douglass, Activist, Author, Orator
Coach Notes
Thank You!
Thank you for taking the time to complete your midyear check-ins and giving us feedback about your experience. Program staff and team leaders are reviewing this month to understand what's working well and where we can continue to improve.

Cultural Responsiveness Survey
Literations would like to hear from our volunteers on how we can improve and enhance our Cultural Responsiveness engagement. Please take a few minutes to complete our 5 question survey to help us determine the next steps as we develop this area of our engagement.


Volunteer Retreat
If you didn't have an opportunity to join us for the annual Volunteer Retreat at the end of January, please watch the recording to learn more about the "Whys" that guide our program!
"In diversity, there is beauty and there is strength."
Maya Angelou, Author, Poet, Activist