Bates Book Buddies is a tutoring and enrichment program designed to help elementary school students with their reading comprehension. I first volunteered for Book Buddies last year. Usually, Bates students pair with two or three elementary students from Montello Elementary School or McMahon Elementary School in Lewiston, visiting twice a week to read with their students. Meeting twice a week allows Bates volunteers to develop a real relationship with their younger buddies and help them boost their reading abilities while also being a positive role model. At the end of last year I had the opportunity to become the Community Outreach Fellow for the program, which means I am responsible for assigning Bates volunteers to their buddies and communicating with volunteers and elementary school teachers about scheduling and other program-related matters.

Due to Covid-19, Book Buddies has evolved into an online format. Even though Bates students cannot meet with their buddies in-person, the Bates community has still been incredibly interested in volunteering. During the Fall semester we created two Book Buddies programs to accommodate the pandemic context. One is an afterschool program that meets over Zoom on Monday through Friday. On those days, Bates volunteers meet with school children from Hillview, a low-income housing community in Lewiston. The kids are paired with a Bates student whom they meet with one-on-one. Within the afterschool program, Book Buddies also participate in Story Time, where Bates volunteers read to a group of elementary students instead of the usual one-on-one format.

Also because of Covid-19, the program has become more flexible, catering to elementary teachers’ specific needs during this challenging time. For example, at Montello Elementary School, Book Buddies have partnered with Mrs. Coe’s first-grade classroom where, Monday through Friday, Bates volunteers meet one-on-one with Mrs. Coe’s students via Zoom. Mrs. Coe puts her students in a Zoom breakout room with their buddies and checks in regularly during the readings. This process has been extremely successful and easy for our volunteers and Mrs. Coe. We hope to have more teachers participate in this program next semester.

Another new feature of this year’s Book Buddies program is our Pre-Recorded Story Times. Since the beginning of the year, Bates volunteers have been recording children’s stories and uploading them to BatesConnect, an online platform developed by the Harward Center, which allows elementary students from all parts of Lewiston and Auburn the opportunity to watch and listen to pre-recorded readings at any time. This new feature broadens Book Buddies’ reach in the community and offers more versatility for elementary students who cannot participate in the live Zoom reading programs we offer.

Overall, Book Buddies programs have been a big success this year. I have received many emails from volunteers and parents commenting on how easy the programs are and the positive impact it has on their students. Next semester, we plan to expand the Montello Reading Program to offer a more customizable and easy Book Buddies experience that elementary teachers can use for their whole classroom. Though being in-person is always best for creating a positive learning experience for elementary students and cultivating a special bond between volunteers and their buddies, we have been fortunate to be able to maintain the program online and have seen very positive results. I look forward to expanding the program next semester.

– Chloe Baylor ‘23