College Students Teach RI Sixth Graders How to Study

Educational program sponsored by The College Crusade of Rhode Island celebrates its fifth year this summer

From left, the Ways to A’s instructors for 2011: (front row) Erlin Rogel of Providence, Franchesca Sevigny of Pawtucket, Ariadna Benitez of Central Falls, Chereva McClellan of Pawtucket, Anthony Franco of Providence; (back row) Aaron Greenspan of Barrington, Yovanny Vargas of Cranston, Andersen Deossa of Pawtucket, coordinator Adam Tarczuk of Johnston.

Providence, R.I., July 6, 2011 – Starting this week, The College Crusade of Rhode Island launches the fifth year of its annual Ways to A’s program, a study-skills course for students who are joining the organization. Over 1,600 Rhode Island sixth graders from Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket have completed Ways to A’s since the program began in 2007. Approximately 600 more sixth graders from these communities are expected to take the course this summer. Ways to A’s runs in four-day sessions for a total of six weeks and is held at the Community College of Rhode Island, Liston Campus, in Providence.

The Ways to A’s curriculum, custom developed for The College Crusade, introduces incoming sixth-grade students to the academic, social, and personal challenges of middle school. The coursework includes exercises in active listening, note taking, reading, and writing. It also addresses memory improvement, test taking, learning styles, and time and classroom management. Students acquire a host of new skills they can apply daily in their classes during the school year. In addition, each student’s family participates in a College Crusade membership orientation that describes how they can help their child succeed in school and stay on the path to postsecondary education.

One of the most important features of the Ways to A’s program is the team of instructors chosen to teach it – as in past years, all are local college students who serve as inspiring examples and mentors for youth. The majority of the program instructors are themselves alumni of The College Crusade. The instructors for this year are:

•  Ariadna Benitez, of Central Falls, a senior at Salve Regina University majoring in Administration of Justice with a minor in Psychology.
•  Andersen Deossa, of Pawtucket, a junior at Suffolk University majoring in Print Journalism.
•  Anthony Franco, of Providence, a senior at Brown University majoring in Human Biology.
•  Aaron Greenspan, of Barrington, a sophomore at Rhode Island College.
•  Chereva McClellan, of Pawtucket, completing an M.A. in Forensic Psychology at Roger Williams University, where she also earned a B.S. in Legal Studies.
•  Erlin Rogel, of Providence, a senior at Roger Williams University majoring in Political Science.
•  Franchesca  Sevigny, of Pawtucket, a junior at the University of Rhode Island majoring in Nursing.
•  Yovanny Vargas, of Cranston, a senior at Rhode Island College majoring in Psychology.

The program coordinator for Ways to A’s is Adam Tarczuk of Johnston. Tarczuk is a former College Crusade Advisor who currently teaches eighth-grade social studies at Grafton Middle School, in Grafton, Mass.

About The College Crusade of Rhode Island
The College Crusade of Rhode Island is the state’s most comprehensive college-readiness and scholarship program for middle school and high school students in low-income urban school districts. It serves approximately 3,500 students per year and rewards their efforts and achievements with up to four years of college scholarships. From grade 6 through grade 12, Crusaders experience the steady, nurturing presence of caring adults and participate year-round in activities that focus on academic enrichment, social and personal development, career awareness and exploration, and readiness for college. Since 2001, The College Crusade has awarded over $23 million in college scholarships to more than 3,000 graduates from Rhode Island high schools. For more information, please visit www.thecollegecrusade.org.

The College Crusade is a nonprofit organization funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s GEAR UP program, by the State of Rhode Island, and by private corporations, foundations, and individuals.

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Contact:
Karen Donovan
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