In This Issue

Program Updates
Mentor Voices
Seminars & Workshops
New MRO! "Homes"
Spring & Summer Doings
Meet Our Mentors
Participant Voices
Science at Pattengill
Web Corner
Networking & Fund-raising
Our Contributors
MRO! Board of Directors

MRO! Goes Nonprofit

The people and mission of Michigan Reach Out! began seven years ago under the sponsorship of the National Science Foundation Center for Ultrafast Optical Science at the University of Michigan. In the spring of 2002, we moved off campus and registered with the State of Michigan as a nonprofit organization. Since then, we have put a Board of Directors in place, achieved federal 501(c)(3) status, and begun a fund-raising campaign. We offer special thanks to the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, which provided the seed capital to get us started—and to our faithful volunteers and site leaders, who kept our programs going during the transition.

    Our vision is to link college and community mentors with community children and teens, and to promote math and science literacy, by

• Offering many opportunities for children to experience hands-on science learning—in classrooms, youth groups, and at home—to spark interest, to build confidence, and to promote deep understanding through the application of scientific principles,
• Helping young people to explore exciting careers—which can motivate them to work at learning, to take the tough courses necessary for technical careers, and to take responsibility for their lives and futures, and
• Directly supporting their learning with individual, long-term mentoring and, when feasible, with individualized and application-oriented classes outside of school.

The best is yet to come!

Contacts

Jeannine LaSovage, e-mail
  Executive Director
  734.747.9280 - voice mail

Debra Hamann, e-mail
  Elementary Program Coordinator

Martha Toth, e-mail
  Technical & Research Coordinator

Program Updates

2002–2003 Program Sites

Arrowwood Hills Community Center
Wednesdays, 4:30-5:30 PM
Site Leaders: Bridget Briley, Sam Lulla

Bryant Community Center
Wednesdays, 4-5 PM
Site Leaders: Deb Hamann, David Podein

Hikone Recreation Center
Thursdays, 6-7 PM
Site Leaders: Dave Coleman, Peter Moes

North Maple Community Impact Center
Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30 PM
Site Leaders: Bill Schultz, Lisa Payton

Pattengill School
Thursdays, 11:20 AM-12:10 PM
Site Leaders: Bridget Briley, Nick Brown
Thursdays, 12:10-1 PM
Site Leader: Deb Hamann

Pinelake Village Community Center
Mondays, 4:30-5:30 PM
Site Leader: Marci Cane

Science Clubs

Hands-On Science Clubs meet weekly. University of Michigan students and a few other volunteers bring experiments and activities, help with science fair projects, bring in demonstrators, and arrange for family field trips to museums.

    This year, 70 mentors have volunteered in our seven science clubs, serving more than 200 children. Although our programs have not been as rich during this transitional year, clubs have typically done such things as make their own polymers, build models of cells, experiment with liquid nitrogen, craft paper rockets and rocket cars, investigate acids and bases found around the house, dissect eyes and hearts, and investigate fingerprints. Visitors have brought ambulances and smoke houses, laser and strobe-light experiments, and fish-tank and bubble optics activities. Families have joined children and their mentors at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and at the University of Michigan’s Exhibit Museum of Natural History. For the second year, mentors and other volunteers have coached many children—not just club members—in selecting, implementing, and writing up science fair projects.

Academic Mentoring

Scarlett Middle School
Monday–Thursday, 2:50–3:50 PM
Site Leaders: Stephanie Steele,
                   Jeannine LaSovage

This program moved to Scarlett Middle School, where we have been able to link the school with its immediate community. After a school secretary helped us to get flyers out, we reaped a harvest of retirees and other adult mentors from Colonial Square and other nearby neighborhoods to supplement our faithful university volunteers.

    This school year, 48 teens met at least weekly with their mentors at Scarlett after school. Many mentors went beyond the call, meeting more frequently with their teens, meeting with parents, attending school concerts, sitting in on science or math classes, and helping with science fair projects. The actual mentoring has focused on basic math skills, where our teen mentees have gaps in knowledge that impede their progress. By next fall, if our funding has stabilized, we hope to have an individualized, computer-based math program available to help, and we will expand to other middle schools.

    We extend deep thanks to the Scarlett MS staff for their warm welcome and cooperation. As we outgrew the room donated for our use, we were able to expand into the school's computer lab. We have plans to take greater advantage of that asset next year!

Evaluation Feedback

    End-of-semester surveys from the Scarlett program offered telling participant responses. Almost universally, mentors and mentees would improve the program by having more time to spend with one another. Most mentors found orientation and ongoing training (for those who attended our seminars) useful. The concept of Learning Styles was new to many, and gave them insight into why their mentees could not simply replicate their own school strategies. After some experience with their teens, mentors realized that they are perfectly capable of learning math and science—but not from lectures, and that many do not do well on traditional tests, even when they can demonstrate competency in other ways. Besides opening their eyes to the complexities of underachievement in schools, these realizations left mentors with a deep, if belated, appreciation for the support and guidance they had received from parents and teachers.

    Mentors believe they are helping teens with the material, with study skills, and with the discipline study requires. They noted how long it takes to develop the mutual trust that frees teens to expose their deficiencies in order to receive help. Mentors saw that teens were also profiting from increased confidence in approaching their homework.

Mentor Voices

“I think it really increases their confidence, both academically and socially, and I wish every kid could have that opportunity.” - Julia

“It has been very positive. It has increased my personal feeling of importance and further motivated me to become a teacher.” - Adam

“I really enjoy mentoring. It gives me an opportunity—which I love—to leave campus every week and do something completely different. I need this to stay sane at school. At the same time, I feel like I am being useful, and the connection I can make with my mentee is priceless.” - Gwen

“The consistency of having the same kid is very important, and it makes you want to come back, because you start to get attached to your kid.” - Jake

“The experience has widened my eyes as to how different middle school is from when I attended, and how just one hour a week can really make a dramatic impact.” - Kelly

“I feel I need to be more responsible because I have a non-family member looking up to me.” - Becca

“It was a great experience! It has made me consider teaching as a profession.”- Abhaya

New Reach Out! “Homes”

The past year has brought lots of changes but just as many new partners and friends for Reach Out! Scarlett Middle School volunteered Room 214 to house our collection of science and math materials games, project kits, raw materials, models, books and software—and in which to conduct our academic mentoring program four afternoons a week.

    We are also free to use the nearby computer lab, which was certainly needed some days to handle the crowd. Everyone in the building has been helpful and welcoming. Thanks so much to Superintendent George Fornero and Assistant Principal Bill Harris for making it happen! Teachers, parents, and students are welcome to visit and check out materials and equipment from 1:30 to 4 PM, Mon.–Thu.

    The First United Methodist Church has provided convenient meeting space for orientations, training, and monthly seminars, and staff office space, as well. We are grateful to long-time supporter Sue Bristol (who has worked with us as a mother and as a teacher) and to Assistant Pastor Greg Martin, who paved the way for another warm welcome into the community.

    The student organization Reach Out! will have an office in the Michigan Union next fall, providing another convenient place to meet and plan.

Seminars & Workshops

As our mentors, teachers, parents, or youth identify topics and issues they would like to learn more about, we offer seminars and workshops for them. Often, our staff members have the expertise to share, but we also tap into our many university, business, and community partners when appropriate. Site leaders are required to attend as part of their own professional development, but many volunteers have also taken advantage of these opportunities to learn together and from one another. During the past six months, we have examined Multiple Intelligences, Learning Styles, Child Development, Study Skills, Test-taking Strategies, Textbook & Lecture Note-taking Tips, Time Management & Tough Choices, and Intentional Dialogue Skills. Please let us know when there is something you want to learn more about!

Spring & Summer Doings

As part of our ongoing partnership with Kiwanis groups, we again provided a science activity table at the all-day K-Grams Kids-Fair at the University of Michigan, with over 1000 children attending.

    We are again organizing the all-fifth-graders campus visit from Pattengill School, including visits to the Power Center, the indoor football field, the Marching Band facility, and a dormitory, plus the popular “Whiz Bang Chemistry” demonstrations.

    For summer 2003, Camp Discovery, a day camp for 3rd–4th graders from our subsidized housing science club sites, will offer several groups a two-day opportunity for fun and exploration. First will be Crafts & Critter Day at the Burkhardt farm, getting to know various farm animals, including the storied “fainting goat”! Day Two, at Meeks farm, will include swimming, nature walks in pine and hard woods, and dissection. Both days will feature games and cookouts.

    As in previous years, we will be visiting community centers to add some large-group science fun to their day programs. And, many Scarlett mentors and students will continue to meet to work on math skills over the summer.

Baxter Allen
Dave Anderson
Kelly Anderson
Brook Anton
Jennifer Anzo
Derreck Asante
Michael Barbieri
Kathleen Barden-Perlberg
Andrea Begnoche
Beth Belloli
Caren Bieterman
Dick Bignall
Justin Bright
Bridget Briley
Nick Brown
Sloan Buchanan
Elizabeth Burpee
Laura Butler
Letitia Byrd
Marci Cane
Benjamin Carney
Lesli Casten
Jodie Chasteen
Ruth Cheng
Naomi Chetcuti
Ryan Cole
David Coleman
Jamie Coleman
Laura Coleman
Eli Cooke
Rachel Craft
Nicole Crane
Emily Criste
Kathryn Cuneaz
Angeli Dahiya
Michelle Dash
Arielle Davis
Glen Deese
Geoff Dietrich
Ralph DiLisio
Ashleigh Dowell
Clar Dukes
Simon Eaglin

Greg Earhart

Diana Eggleston
Casey Ehrlich
Tulga Ersal
Jen Fife-Adams
Andrew Finn
Jane Fischer
Kari Flicker
Kathy Fojtik-Stroud
Robert Fowler
Nora Fox
Katie Francis
Lisa Franzoi
Nicole Fretter
Courtney Fritz
Ping Fu
Julianne Gonda
Bryan Grattan
Katherine Gregg
Elizabeth Haney
Brian Harrington
Jerry Hartweg
Chuck Hatt III
Lei He
Gwen Hekman
Eileen Helm
Pat Herek
Ramona Hicks
Kristen Holtschlag
Heather Hothem
James Hunnicutt
Karen Hwang
Felicia Inchauste
Craig Isakow
Lakshmi Iyer
Emily Jacobsen
Rob Jenkins
Adam Johnson
CJ Johnson
Carl Jones
Becca Juliar

Felipe Karian-Torres
Sarvin Kashani
Sally Kelley
Zak Kieltkya
Audrey Kim
Danielle Kinkel
Alison Kolody
Sergei Kolomeitsev
Jennifer Koshorek
Burt Lamkin
Lynne Lande
Jethro Law
Elizabeth Leddy
Hosup Lee
Jane Lee
Marcia Lee
Angie Leenhouts
Brandon Levey
Miriam Levine
Amanda Lindow
Melissa Lounsbery
Sam Lulla
Angela Maile
Augustus Makris
Meaghan McElroy
Jerry McMahon
May Mijares
Peter Moes
Priscilla Moseley-Atchoo
Charu Nautiyal
William Nelson
Emily Newell
Gerry Nordblom
Yetsy Olusanya
Tiffany Ostrowski
Stan Palmer
Tony Palmer
Abhi Pandit
Neal Patel
Tracey Patterson
Louise Peterson
Prasad Phatak

Kyle Pine
David Podein
Germain Pollack
Natassia Polyne
Julia Power
Brendon Quilter
Angel Rivas
Charisa Roy
Teri Russiel
Brian Ryckman
Kirk Rzasa
John Sampselle
Alex Samul
Todd Sarbaugh
Peter Schork
Danielle Sgambati
Jessica Shatzman
Ardaman Pal Shergill
Henry Shih
Meghan Shilts
Maitreya Simms
Stephen Sinas
Stephanie Stachura
Megan Stech
Jasmine Stone
Annie Thompson
LaTasha Thompson
Brad Thomson
Jim Vanek
Tara van Schaack
Jennifer Vassil
Brian Vincent
Andrea Visintainer
Jane Viventi
Shaan Wadhwa
Kim Weinberg
Melissa Weiss
Kristin White
Meredith Wine
Dan Wyns
Mina Yang
Vanaja Yarlagadda
Jessica Yurasek

Making a Difference — One Child at a Time

Participant Voices

“Mom and I wanted me to have a Big Brother. That didn’t happen, but I got a mentor here. My mentor likes to play chess with me and sometimes we play catch, too. He helps me do my homework and he helps me learn things I didn’t learn in school that I should have learned. Sometimes I don’t know that I don’t know something. But he helps me figure that out. I really am glad I have Reach Out!, and I come after school just about whenever I can.” - Scarlett MS teen

“Reach Out! does a good job of pulling together different people and groups for our students. Working together, we were able to have a Kiwanis Builders Club to support our students planning and doing many community outreach projects by themselves and also with Kiwanis, to offer career mentoring, to provide job shadowing opportunities with business people in Ann Arbor, Saline and Chelsea, and to link UM students with children who wanted academic mentoring. I couldn’t do all these things by myself but, by working with Reach Out!, we brought many people into their lives, connected with resources (many that I didn’t know about), and certainly gave our experiences and opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have had.” - Slauson Middle School teacher

“Greetings to the Reach Out! team. I have noticed a wonderful and positive difference in the quality and understanding of the homework assignments of the students in my class who have received your assistance. Being prepared for class has given them self-confidence and made participation easier for them. Thank you so much for your support.” - Scarlett Middle School teacher

Lunch-Time Science at Pattengill School

Where can you study science? The answer is simple—everywhere! Students in our Pattengill Science Club were captivated by the realization that science’s reach is so extensive. Composed of mostly young students, this group came with a desire to understand the way science relates to their own bodies. Slowly, together, we discovered some of the ways science and biology can explain some of the body’s mysteries.

    Another week, some students played the role of a water contaminant, using substances such as salt and vinegar, while others became workers assigned to examine the cleanliness of drinking water. Expecting pollutant identification to be a piece of cake, the students were surprised and even frightened at the possibility that their drinking water could be contaminated without their awareness. This realization quickly spurred many conversations about preventing pollution, and we all left with a heightened awareness of our relationship with the environment.

    One of the most important observations I could possibly make about science club is that we have fun. The students enjoy learning and the time they spend with their friendly and talented mentors. Every day, they come eager to learn and experiment with the hope of gaining some insight into their own lives. My hope and belief is that this excitement will only grow, as the club itself becomes more of a staple in their precious lives.
 - Scott Kramer

The Pattengill Science Clubs have been incredibly successful, with enough “customers” to prompt a waiting list for the next series. We have done hands-on science involving states of matter, the scientific method, weather, and astronomy. The kids have had the opportunity to work with “ooze” and with K-nex building toys, to make their own tornado in a jar, and to create their own moon craters.

    Although, by far, the students have shown the most interest in astronomy, they have been able and willing to learn about all different kinds of science. Many students took home the “ooze” experiment and shared it with their friends and family, mixing cornstarch and water in a bowl and showing the different states of matter that are formed depending on how the mixture is handled. These kinds of experiments are incredibly useful in order to get parents and other peers involved in what science club is doing and what it is teaching the kids.

    Yet, although exposing the students (and their families) to as many different types of science as possible is a main goal of Reach Out!, the children seem to benefit most by the close bond they form with their mentors. After only a short time, each of the mentors has formed relationships with his or her own small group of children. The students look up to their mentors not only as someone to teach them or someone to eat lunch with, but also as someone concerned about them. With a familiar face that they look up to and trust, they feel completely comfortable taking on new challenges in science that they may once have found intimidating. The mentors come every week knowing that these specific kids are going to be looking for them. They also take time out after the kids leave to fill out evaluations dealing with concerns they have about their specific students, and reflecting upon what their kids are learning and how they can make this experience an even better one.

    Our volunteers serve an even larger group by offering science fair mentoring and advice. One teacher noted that one student “would not have been able to participate in the science fair without your help.” It is all part of offering resources and support to children who would otherwise not have them.
 - Bridget Briley

Networking & Fund-raising

Our vision is to become a county-wide—and eventually statewide—mentoring center. We will share best practices, orientations and training sessions, evaluation strategies, and efforts to recruit volunteers and to raise funds.

Meetings

In the past few months, we have met with these folks to talk about uniting some of our programs and efforts:

• Trenda Rusher, Washtenaw County Workforce Development
• Keith Peters, Ypsilanti Chamber of Commerce
• Advisory Board and Director Jennifer Spitler, Washtenaw County Big Brothers/Big Sisters
• Bill Miller, Washtenaw Intermediate School District Superintendent
• Elvia Krajewski-Jaime, Director of EMU Institute for the Study of Children, Families, and Communities
• State Senator Liz Brater and Representative Chris Kolb—about our desire to link with Governor Granholm and her husband, Dan Mulhern, to establish a statewide Mentoring Partnership Center as several other states have

Similar networking and follow-ups to these meetings are planned.

Web Corner

Our Web site moved from a university server to this URL in 2002. After the relocation, it took time for our users to find us again. Although total usage is about 50% of the former level, it continues to grow, from an annualized level of 220,000 page requests in June to one of nearly 3 million by March 2003. More than 4,000 different pages within the site are requested per month. Visitors have come from every one of the United States and its territories, plus more than 113 other countries, from “.ae” (United Arab Emirates) to “.za” (South Africa).

Fund-raising

Our proposals last spring to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, both in partnership with Ann Arbor Public Schools, were not funded. We thank Senator Carl Levin for his support in these efforts! We are now awaiting feedback on a preliminary Informal Science Education proposal to NSF and working on the full proposal.

    A proposal submitted to the Ann Arbor Area Foundation and Pfizer for funding to secure our elementary science club programs and coordinator was successful. We are pleased and grateful to announce that this proposal was granted.

    Several informal proposals were made to small family foundations; some responded with donations and others are still in process. These and other donors, including a gratifying number of individual supporters, are listed on the back cover of this newsletter. Our sincere thanks to all!

Who Stands Behind Us:

Our Contributors

Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow Foundation
Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation
Downtown Ann Arbor Kiwanis
J & E Slavik Foundation
Meeks & Zilberfarb Orthopedic Associates, PC
The Pfizer Foundation
The Accounting Office (Linda Chapekis)
Tom Mac’s Photography

John Barfield
James & Susan Bennett
Faye Booker-Logan
Jim & Sue Bristol
Rachel Burkhardt
Andrew & Pamela Chapelle
Ron Clement
Kathy Fojtik-Stroud
Rial & Margery Hamann
Jerry Hartweg
Bob & Judy Kegerreis
Walt & Marilyn LaSovage
Ron & Jeannine LaSovage
John & Meredith Meeks
Louis & Kelli Meeks
Gerald Nordblom
Don & Marie Olsen
Dick & Mary Parks
Brendon & Mary Quilter
John Quilter
John & Carolyn Sampselle
Edith Semark
Dennis & Susan Shackelford
Clifford & Ingrid Sheldon
Dan & Tracey Stephenson
Max & Sue Supica
Joan M. Toy

“Thank You” to Our Generous Donors!

Michigan Reach Out!
5575 West Liberty
Ann Arbor, Ml 48103
734.747.9280                   e-mail

Our Board of Directors

President: Barry Borgerson, founder and president of Complete Leadership, Inc., which provides individually tailored transformational coaching for executives to enable the achievement of peak performance. Dr. Borgerson is a past and current fundraiser for MRO! and sponsors our Web site.

Vice President: Ben Kaufman, manufacturing engineer, General Motors; University of Michigan graduate; past site leader; UM Reach Out! alumnus

Secretary: Bridget Briley, University of Michigan student; past and current site leader

Treasurer: Doris Calvert, Calverts’ Roll-Off Containers, Inc.; past volunteer, site leader, and coordinator of several programs

Director: Dave Coleman, University of Michigan student; past and current site leader [no longer active since May 2003 graduation; replaced by Sam Lulla, University of Michigan student; past and current site leader]

Director: Tom Flynn, manager, Chelsea Proving Grounds Wind Tunnel, DaimlerChrysler Motors; past and current career resource provider; past program sponsor

Director: Bob Galardi, Ann Arbor Public Schools; principal at two program school sites [no longer active since 2003 promotion]

Director: Bill Schultz, professor of mechanical engineering at University of Michigan; leader at past and current sites; faculty advisor to UM Reach Out!

Student Auxiliary: UM Reach Out!