What is This Thing Called L.O.V.E.?

Project L.O.V.E. stands for Let Older Volunteers Educate. More than 130 very committed (mainly retired) older volunteers help students in Prince Edward Island schools with their school work, usually in that most important area, reading.

Volunteers go to their school once a week, spending between an hour and a whole morning (or afternoon) in the school.

They usually help one student at a time, listening and coaching them with words, reading aloud to model good pronunciation and expression for them, helping with classroom projects or to get caught up on missed assignments.

Teachers whose students work with the Project L.O.V.E. volunteers all agree: Their students benefit greatly from this help, gaining self-confidence through the interest shown in them by the volunteers.

Federal Minister for Literacy Visits Project L.O.V.E.

Senator Joyce Fairbairn, Minister with Special Responsibility for Literacy, visited P.E.I. early in September and requested a meeting with L.O.V.E. Volunteers in Summerside, where she also visited other literacy projects.

Although L.O.V.E. is not yet started in Parkside School for the year, teacher contact Lorna Champion and volunteer captain Barbara Aiken called in most of the school's volunteers for a very positive meeting with Sen. Fairbairn.

She was especially interested in the stories the volunteers told about their school experiences, and Parkside volunteers told some moving ones. At a breakfast meeting the following day, the Minister was still talking about L.O.V.E., promising to join as soon as she has retired!

"I have said this many times," the Minister said in her speech. "Can there ever be a more potent combination for learning than seniors, and our youngest learners? "

A special thanks to Parkside School for hosting the Minister's visit and also to the volunteers who came in and shared their experiences. It was a very positive experience for everyone involved.

Volunteer Captains Hold Meeting

Volunteer Captains from schools across the Island met at the end of August in Charlottetown to review the Captain's Manual, which was developed from discussions held at our L.O.V.E. luncheon in June.

Captains from each school are eager to help their coordinating teacher get their projects organized for the coming school year. They will be telephoning volunteers to let them know when the first meeting of the school year will take place.

As well, Captains will be responsible for: letting volunteers know about important dates on the school calendar, helping to recruit new volunteers, and keeping in touch with the LOVE Committee.

Anyone from a school which has not yet named a Captain, and who would be interested in more information, should call project coordinator Mary Burke, at the number on the masthead above.

We hope Captains will help to keep Project L.O.V.E. going, and growing, all over P.E.I.!

Great News for L.O.V.E. !

In May, the L.O.V.E. Committee put together a funding proposal to the Provincial Literacy Initiatives Committee for a one-year project to improve access and outreach for the project. In August George Proud, M.P. for Hillsborough, announced that the Committee's application had been successful.

During the year, Project L.O.V.E. will be working to encourage more seniors to become involved in the project. Some parts of Project L.O.V.E. may be modified to make it more accessible to seniors who are isolated.

As well, an analysis of the project will be conducted with teachers and school administrators, to see if the project needs to be modified to make it more useful to schools.

With Project L.O.V.E. working so well in over 20 schools in P.E.I., it just seems a shame that all students don't have access to this kind of loving concern and assistance. With this project, perhaps we'll be able to reach all the schools who need us! Many thanks to the P.L.I. Committee and the National Literacy Secretariat for the funding.

Special Workshop Available for Our Volunteers

At the June luncheon, it was announced that a special workshop was now available and could be offered to L.O.V.E. Volunteers held if interest warrants. A list of names was collected at the meeting, but if there are other volunteers who would like to attend, please have them call Mary Burke.

The workshop was developed for New Brunswick Legion members, who are beginning a project of reading in schools in that province. Maitland MacIsaac delivered the workshop to the Legionnaires. He is the Island principal who developed Learning and Reading Partners, the program to help parents help their children with reading. The volunteer workshop would take two hours, and will give volunteers a view of how reading is being taught in Island schools.

PLEASE NOTE: It is not necessary for volunteers to take this training! Many teachers say that volunteers know instinctively how best to help the students, and insist that no special training is needed. The workshop is being offered for those who would just like to have a better understanding of what is taking place in the classroom.

It's not required! But if you are interested, please call. We will be working on setting up the workshop locations and dates soon!

Confidentially, It's A Secret

One of the most difficult parts of being a L.O.V.E. Volunteer is in working with students who are having real learning problems. Teachers understand that for many of these students, lack of confidence plays a big part in their poor showing in school.

The most valuable part of Project L.O.V.E. for these students is the positive experience of having someone tell them how well they have done, and showing an interest in them and their work.

Volunteers must remember that this positive effect will be spoiled if everyone in the student's community knows about their learning problems. Please, talk about your work, but don't identify the student you're talking about - and don't let your hearers speculate! The student's family, too, may be upset by having their child's problems known in the community. Just keep it under your hat!

And Now...Here's Another Tough One!

Project L.O.V.E. Captains and Board Members held a frank discussion about our most difficult topic at the recent Captains' meeting: child sexual and physical abuse.

L.O.V.E. Volunteers must be concerned about this issue for two reasons.

First, children may tell you about a problem they are having because they trust you. If they DO tell you about any form of abuse, you must report it. Tell the contact teacher or the classroom teacher. They are trained to deal with this.

Second, accusations of abuse against the L.O.V.E. volunteer. Please ensure that you are never left alone with a student in a room with the door closed, and remember that appropriate touching may include pats on the head or shoulders ONLY.

This may sound cold and callous, but remember, it's safest for you - and most acceptable to the child's parents, who might be upset at finding their children hugging someone who is a stranger to them.

Your kindness and your interest in them is what is doing these children the most good!

For a copy of "The L.O.V.E. Letter" send an e-mail to burkhorn@isn.net, or write to P.O. Box 325 CORNWALL PEI C0A 1H0.