WHAT     Make Colorful Book Folders that Improve Reading
         Assemble and decorate educational info on colorful folders  

WHY      Children who do not learn to read by third grade generally
         have trouble reading to learn thereafter, so older adult
         mentors at Generations Incorporated use these folders
         (and the books they contain) to provide 1:1 reading
         interventions in schools and after-school programs.

        Creative volunteers put their artistic, scrap booking
         talents to work, laying out, coloring and/or illustrating
         a manila folder using text provided about a book’s title,
         author, summary, and introduction, challenging words,
         conversation starters, etc.

          While no special art skills are required, this
          project does require fine motor skills and attention
         to detail since specific elements must be placed on the
         front, inside, etc.

         We seek volunteers age 14+.        
         Youth must be accompanied by adults.

          Materials (folders, text, and lamination), and tools
         (markers, colored pencils, crayons, glue, etc.)
         cost $4/folder while the paperback books cost $6/book, so
          we request that volunteers contribute $10*or more each
         to help us offset the cost of at least one of the two
         book folders each will complete.
         *We offer waivers so that if this is a financial
         hardship, you can still participate. 

HOW      SIGN UP yourself BY 1/22
              at https://alum.mit.edu/smarTrans/register-login.vm?eventID=28881&groupID=146
          No partial participation can be accommodated
         for this project.

          After you sign-up, PMD will confirm your
         participation and then the week before the
         project email specific details including
        directions to the project site by public transit
         and by car, checklist on how to prepare,
         what to expect, and a waiver. 

WHO      People Making a Difference (PMD),
         founded by Lori Tsuruda ’89 in 1992, is a nonprofit
         organization that promotes informed and
         responsible volunteerism by involving people
         in tangible, hands-on work that meets
         local needs and by assisting select companies
         and charities in building successful community
         involvement programs that:

• Produce appreciable results while conserving recipients' limited resources,
• Educate volunteers about broader issues,
• Bring people together to make a difference. 

"It has been a fantastic year for our kids and it is clear how much
they love working with the tutors and even reading itself."
-Liz Steinhauser, Director of Youth Programs, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church from http://www.generationsinc.org/stories.htm