OASIS Tutors

OASIS is a national nonprofit educational organization designed to enhance the quality of life for mature adults. Offering challenging programs in the arts, humanities, wellness, technology and volunteer service, OASIS creates opportunities for older adults to continue their personal growth and provide meaningful service to the community.

OASIS has provided intergenerational volunteers in Eugene elementary schools for the past seven years. This year, 13 of our elementary schools and one charter school participated in the program, with 78 tutor/mentors (who sometimes worked with more than one student in more than one school). While the OASIS program provides supplementary reading instruction for grades K-4, our focus has been grades 1-4.

Through the OASIS Intergenerational Tutoring Program, volunteers, schools and OASIS work together to help young children build reading skills and positive attitudes toward learning. Tutor/mentors receive 12 hours of initial training, and continuing support through regular tutor/mentor meetings where they can share experiences, solve problems, and build friendships. The connection these mentors make with children who are struggling to learn, and sometimes feeling unnoticed and uncared for, goes a long way to developing individuals who believe in themselves and their abilities to learn. As local OASIS director Elizabeth Scholze-Schmidt says, "It's all about the relationship."

At their end of the year meeting, Eugene tutor/mentors had an opportunity to meet with children's author Tom Birdseye, who shared personal tributes to the power of an individual caring adult in turning a "reluctant" learner into a success, a story that is found in many of his books.

OASIS tutor/mentors were told by 4J Interim OASIS Tutor Coordinator Jane Harrison that they were like the rainbow on the cake that promised the sunshine of success for the children.	Dan Reece, Director of the Center for Senior Health at Peace/Health (which is one of the OASIS sponsors) expressed his appreciation for the work the tutor/mentors do for the children of our community.	Pat Rankin, OASIS Tutor Program Director, presented Elizabeth Scholze-Schmidt with a "Gerber" daisy in honor of her first year as the area OASIS Director.
Elizabeth reads the poem that accompanies the pin for 5-year tutor/mentors.	The copy of the "Starfish" poem was provided by the Minnesota Literacy Council.	Pat hands out the awards to the applause and appreciation of the audience.
Author Tom Birdseye was a former teacher, so he understands student needs. In addition to picture books for beginning readers, he writes "chapter" books for kids.	Tom explains that he has had a long time goal of promoting literacy, and to have his books tell a good story to make students want to read another. Click here to see descriptions of his books.	Tom also write non-fiction for young people, and has done several based on interviews with students in the Willamette valley area.