The school principal is the primary school contact and without principals’ support and participation, the program would not be successful. The principal sets the tone for the program in each school and she/he needs “to be very inclusive” and “show the volunteers are valued.” In our study we worked with over 30 principals who spoke very positively about having Project L.O.V.E. in their schools. They said it gave students extra practice with their reading and the one-to-one attention they needed. As well, it provided students with another adult to model reading and to show how important reading is in our lives. Principals discussed the value of having seniors from the community coming into the school and adding to the school culture in positive ways.
To help in the daily operation of Project L.O.V.E., and to maintain a network of communication within the program, each school is encouraged to appoint a School Contact to take the lead with the program at the school level. This is often the vice-principal or an interested classroom teacher who is willing to add this responsibility to other duties. The School Contact sets up orientation meetings for volunteers, establishes schedules and routines for the sessions, finds classroom teachers who are interested in taking part and helps identify students who would benefit from the program. They work with the Executive Director of Project L.O.V.E. to tailor the program to the culture and needs of their school ensuring that each school can tailor the principles of Project L.O.V.E. to their context.
Not all schools use the School Contact in the same way; some schools had no one taking the school-level leadership needed to make the project successful, but it can be said without any exaggeration, that the more effective the School Contact is in taking a leadership role, the more successful Project L.O.V.E. will be.
The school principal is the primary school contact and without principals’ support and participation, the program would not be successful.
It can be said without any exaggeration, that the more effective the School Contact is in taking a leadership role, the more successful Project L.O.V.E. will be.