Students act as mentors to local eighth graders

By Tara Pizzo
Senior Staff Writer
October 18, 2006

La Salle students have been able to act as tutors and mentors to eighth grade students at the Grover Washington Jr. Middle School in Philadelphia, helping the middle school students write about their lives and experiences thus far as part of a program called the Urban Writers’ Project.

Dr. Robert Vogel, professor of Education at La Salle, has been working with eighth grade teacher at Grover Washington, Michael Galbraith, for the past two years on a writing project called “Urban Writers: Voices of Tweens-Philadelphians.” Vogel helped develop the Urban Writer’s Program and continues to support it. “The project encourages students to write about their lives in the context of selected literature, personal experiences and field trips,” Vogel said. “Students are involved in journal writing, intensive individual and peer editing and small group discussions that produce more substantial writing.” Senior Jennifer Abraczinskas tutors students at Grover Washington and was able to provide a brief history of the writing program.

“The writing was developed by Erin Gruwell who used the technique to transform the lives of high school students in California—away from drugs, guns and poverty toward higher education,” Abraczinskas said.

The program at Grover Washington is similar to Gruwell’s project, but it is more specifically developed toward the middle school students.

By using the Pennsylvania Writing Project, state standards and the School District of Philadelphia’s core curriculum, Vogel “designed an innovative approach that encourages the middle school aged student to explore alternative ways to express themselves,” he said.

Vogel said that he and Galbraith are currently expanding the in-class writing projects by offering an after-school writing program for the students.

“This will give [La Salle] students more of an opportunity to work in an inner city middle school as writing tutors and gain invaluable experiences as mentors to the students,” Vogel said.

Students of all majors can participate in this program.

Abraczinskas is a chemistry/biochemistry major who began tutoring the students during the Spring 2006 semester.

“The La Salle students offer advice on grammar and writing skills and the [middle school] students share their lives with us,” Abraczinskas said. “I cannot explain how amazing the Grover students are and the potential that they have. I learn so much from the students and am inspired by them [and] their courage.”

Abraczinskas said that La Salle is the only university participating in this project with Grover Washington and that Galbraith is one of only 16 teachers in the nation that have been “coached” by Gruwell about the project. The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote a series of articles about the Urban Writer’s Project during the summer of 2006 and as of now, there are about 12 La Salle students who will begin volunteering for this semester.

By participating in this program, Abraczinskas feels as though La Salle students are helping younger students follow their dreams.

“We are not old enough to be ‘adults,’ so I think [the middle school students] feel comfortable talking with us about their readings, their field trips and their lives,” Abraczinskas said. “Some of the students do not know many people who have gone to school beyond high school, so the La Salle students offer special insight into going to college and using education to follow their dreams.”

If you are interested in volunteering with the Urban Writer’s Project, contact Abraczinskas at abraczinskasj1@lasalle.edu.

pizzot1@lasalle.edu