Great Benefits, Low Costs

Education funding involves difficult choices which demand an eye toward costs and benefits. WCC keeps expenses trim while delivering tremendous value for our public school partners.

WCC Writer Coaches contribute an average of 40 hours each per school year, and that relatively modest individual commitment adds up to significant monetary value to our partner schools. While the one on one attention coaches provide to students in developing their writing and critical thinking skills is priceless, the time donated represents an investment valued at $2,400 or more per coach, as compared with market rate for quality individual tutoring.

For 2008-09, over 300 WCC coaches are meeting with more than 1,600 students in 70 classes in Oakland, Berkeley, and Albany schools. Most students receive seven or more individual coaching sessions throughout the year. The value of the WriterCoach Connection volunteer hours contributed to our pubic schools over the past few years is well over $1 million.

Why does a volunteer program need funds?

Although our writing coaches are volunteers, Community Alliance for Learning (CAFL) hires professionals to insure high-quality WriterCoach Connection program standards and a high level of participant satisfaction. These professional services include:

• program development, including developing and updating program materials and working with school administrators and teachers to implement the program at each school;
• volunteer recruitment from the community, colleges, parent groups and local organizations;
• high quality coach training for new volunteers and periodic in-service coaching workshops;
• professional development to orient teachers to the program;
• one or more site coordinators at each school to develop coach teams and work out program logistics, to communicate teacher assignments to coaches, and to supervise and support coaching each week;
• program evaluation and assessment of student writing progress;
• CAFL oversight to insure the program meets or exceeds expectations.

In addition, funds are needed for training materials and program supplies and for essential overhead costs (insurance, bookkeeping, tax preparation, etc.) to maintain Community Alliance for Learning’s non-profit status.

Because of the high value of the volunteer contribution, every dollar donated to Community Alliance for Learning reaps more than double its value in quality services to schools.