[Noozhawk’s note: One in a series on Santa Barbara Partners in Education volunteers. This article is sponsored by Cox Communications, a Partners in Education President’s Council member.]
Like many of Santa Barbara Partners in Education’s college-aged volunteers, Jennifer Williams first became involved with the organization to gain exposure to the teaching profession.
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Partners in Education is a nonprofit organization administered by the Santa Barbara County Education Office, which enjoys unique access into the public school system, allowing its programs to support students during the school day and beyond.
Through Partners in Education’s Volunteer Program, Williams would be able to work alongside students and teachers, gaining valuable insight into a career path she was seriously considering.
“For some time I’ve known that I wanted to teach English to junior high or high school students,” Williams said, “and I wanted to see if I had the ability to connect with them.”
Partners in Education programs connect school and community needs through volunteers who have the skills and interests needed to meet those needs. Williams’ skills and interests made her the perfect volunteer match for two different teacher requests for tutors at Goleta Valley Junior High. She took on both.
Beginning in early January, Williams volunteered in both a social studies class and an English class at GVJHS, often going twice a week to each class. In less than six months, Williams dedicated a whopping 68 hours of service, while both tutoring and mentoring junior high school students.
For Williams, at the time a fourth-year English major at UC Santa Barbara, volunteering with Partners in Education simply confirmed her belief that she was meant to be a teacher.
“I now know that I look forward to seeing and working with students every day, and I feel really comfortable in a school,” she explained.
Partners in Education executive director Michelle Magnusson is pleased to hear about Williams’ experience and others like hers, as it affirms a belief she’s always held: volunteering is beneficial for all parties involved.
“The Corporation for National and Community Service recently released a new report indicating that volunteers have a 27 percent increased likelihood of finding employment over nonvolunteers,” she said.
“Volunteering increases an individual’s networks, builds experience — in particular skill sets and attitudes — and gives applicants a positive experience to discuss in a competitive job market. We are proud that our program has achieved this balance — assisting college students in moving along their career path while providing one-on-one attention and guidance to our community’s youth.”
When describing the level of impact a college student can actually have on a classroom, Williams is confident.
“I think college-aged students in classrooms make great role models and create valuable mentoring opportunities,” she said. “College students can expose younger students, especially those who are uncertain, to opportunities after high school and in their immediate future.”
Williams says one of the best things about volunteering with Partners in Education is the opportunity it provides for people to experience direct results from their service.
“Working with students through this program, I feel as though every day I form and develop individual relationships with students that not only influence their current schoolwork, but potentially the rest of their academic career,” she said.
Originally from Morgan Hill, Williams also believes that volunteering in public schools has made her better-informed on the state of education today.
“I have realized that each and every child has individual needs and goals that need to be met, though with the student to teacher ratio, it is near impossible,” she said. “Partners in Education is helping students in remarkable ways, as it allows for multiple helpers in the classroom, addressing the reality of student needs.”
But it’s more than just the homework help that makes a difference, she acknowledges.
“In addition, I feel that young adults who volunteer can act as mentors and reach students in ways that teachers are sometimes unable to,” she said.
So many generous and service-minded community members often feel driven to give back because someone once had an impact on their own lives in profound ways. Williams is no exception to this group, and has taken it upon herself to emulate the qualities of own childhood mentor.
“I was lucky enough to have a friend’s mother whose persistent encouragement and belief that I had something unique to contribute to the world helped shape me into the person I am today,” she said.
“Many students I work with have low self-esteem and a lack of confidence in their academic abilities, and it holds them back. By having a mentor who consistently tells them that they will succeed and that they can do anything they put their minds to, I think they benefit immensely.”
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Santa Barbara Partners in Education is a nonprofit 501(c)3 administered by the Santa Barbara County Education Office. The Partners in Education President’s Council consists of 30 businesses that all act as an advocate for Partners in Education programs and a liaison between public schools and the business community. Each President’s Council member contributes $2,500 annually.
Partners programs include a Volunteer Recruitment program serving K-12 public schools and nonprofit organizations; a Paid Job Readiness Training & Internship program for deserving high school students; and Computers for Families, a program working to close the digital divide.
» Click here to volunteer with Partners in Education, or call 805.964.4710 x4401.
» Connect with Partners in Education on Facebook. Follow Partners in Education on Twitter: @sbpartnersined.
» For other inquiries, contact internship program and communications coordinator Chelsea Duffy at cpduffy@sbceo.org.
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— Chelsea Duffy is a program coordinator for Santa Barbara Partners in Education.