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REPORT RAPPORT |
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REPORT RAPPORT |
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DATE:
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13 December 2011 |
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TO/DEST:
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Executive Director, Ottawa Police Services Board |
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FROM/EXP:
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Acting Chief of Police, Ottawa Police Service |
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SUBJECT/OBJET: |
“OTTAWAREADS” VOLUNTEER READER PROGRAM
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OttawaReads is an early literacy program that brings employer supported volunteers from the corporate and public sectors into local classrooms to read one-on-one with students from kindergarten to grade 3.
For the fifth year in a row, the Ottawa Police Service, through OttawaReads, partners with three area schools: Roberta Bondar Public School, located on Lorry Greenberg Drive, Queen Mary Street Public School, located on Queen Mary Street and Grant Alternative Public School, located on Draper Avenue.
Through this program, reading volunteers are placed in schools in low income areas where children may not have a lot of access to books, or English may not be the spoken language at home. OttawaReads provides opportunities for children to read for fun so they do more reading on their own, thereby improving their literacy skills.
For the 2011/2012 school year, we have 24 spots filled with OPS sworn and civilian volunteers reading to school children.
Readers are asked to volunteer for one hour each week, throughout the school year. As an employer supported program, volunteer readers, with the approval of their supervisor, are given time off from their regular work schedule to volunteer. Some employees share a reading spot and others who work shift work often attend on their own time to ensure that they can regularly read to their class. Overall, the commitment to this program has been exceptional, with many of our volunteers returning year after year.
“I have been reading with OttawaReads for the past three years and I have found the experience to be wonderful! What an interesting collection of kids I have met! Some are completely focused on the reading and the excitement of the book in hand, while others are distracted by everything in the room. Most want to chat and share stories about their life experiences while reading the books. For some of these kids, it is a rare chance to share a moment of reading with an adult that most other kids are lucky enough to experience daily with their parents. Some years I was able to go more frequently than others but regardless of how long it had been since my last visit, I was always greeted with frantic waves of hello and cries of “me, me” volunteering to be my next reader.”
―Sgt. Brenda McGillvray, OPS
The time our volunteers have given to these schools has had a big impact on the children. Not only have students been put on a path of literacy and learning, it enables the Ottawa Police Service to create positive relationships with youth and provides an opportunity for members to contribute to our community in a very meaningful way.
“I always want to read because it makes me happy. Books are fun. We are nice to the people who read to us and they are nice to us.”
Aurora, Queen Mary Public School SK
In 2010, OttawaReads created “Give Back to School Day”, which partners organizations with schools in low income areas to commit to one day of beautification projects within the school. The goal of the project is to give students a sense of pride in their school.
The Ottawa Police Service worked with Queen Mary Street Public School, where volunteers created a wall mural about diversity, planted flowers, re-organized the books in the library and played with the children during the lunch hour. The majority of volunteers were from the Corporate Planning Section, as Director Randy Mar used this opportunity as a team building exercise.
In 2011, Randy’s team again participated in “Give Back to School Day”. Another wall mural was created about positive learning, more planting was done in the front of the school and a general yard clean up was done. The volunteers once again played with the children at recess and the teachers prepared a pot luck lunch for the volunteers. Each child was given an OPS promotional item, made up of pencils, rulers, colouring books or highlighters.
The financial cost to the organization for this employer supported program is minimal. Reading volunteers attend their class for one hour during their work schedule and supervisors also allow for travel time. About four positions are shared, so that more people can participate without negatively impacting their work schedule or Section. Also, many of the volunteers who work shift work attend on their days off when working afternoons or evenings, so that they can regularly read to their classes.
The OttawaReads program provides OPS members with the opportunity to contribute positively to our community. Not only do members feel good about volunteering, they know they are helping children to improve the literacy skills needed to develop into healthy adults. From an organizational perspective, OttawaReads establishes relationships with children that will result in trust and respect for police.
(Original signed by)
Charles Bordeleau
Acting Chief of Police
