Academic Intervention Spotlight

As soon as “Ms. Rachel,” walks through the classroom door, you can tell Operation Shoestring’s afterschool students are excited to see her. As the third graders wave to her, it’s plain to see that kids in Project Rise love spending time and laughing with her, and that Shoestring volunteer Rachel Glazer loves making learning literacy skills an empowering experience for children. 

Glazer is the Assistant Director of Education at the Institute of Southern Jewish life, and  takes particular pride in her organization’s literacy programing, which Operation Shoestring has become the newest participant to take part in. At both of our afterschool sites, Glazer and the ISJL Education Fellows meet once a week with our 3rd- and 4th-grade students for literacy tutoring and lots of laughs. 3rd graders in Mississippi must pass a reading test, also known as the “reading gate,” in order to move on to the next grade.

To support Shoestring students, Glazer and her team go over practice tests with our students and play storytelling games while sharpening their reading skills through literacy activities. Students who participate in Glazer’s tutorial sessions also receive books, folders of additional activities for their parents to guide them through, and test taking tools like stress balls.

“The kids here are so sweet, and the teachers are rockstars,” says Glazer. And eight-year-old Korrion said when the class was over, “I wish we could spend even more time together!” The third grader, just like many of his classmates, couldn’t believe an hour of literacy class flew by so quickly.

To learn more about how Operation Shoestring is building an ecosystem of academic, emotional, and social supports for the family and children within our neighborhoods, you can go to Operationshoestring.org/about