“WriterCoach Connection has proven to be highly effective in generating increased writing achievement in Oakland classrooms. More Oakland schools are requesting WriterCoach Connection as word gets out about the results it produces. We need this program, and these volunteers, now more than ever.” —Tony Smith, Former Superintendent, Oakland Unified School District
This year more than 2,400 middle and high school students in Alameda and West Contra Costa Counties are becoming critical thinkers and stronger, more confident writers with the help of community volunteers recruited, trained, and organized as coaches by WriterCoach Connection.
Since 2001, WriterCoach Connection has sent teams of trained community volunteers into secondary school English classrooms to work one on one with students on their writing assignments. During the 2015-16 school year, 639 volunteer coaches worked with and encouraged students in 70 East Bay classrooms. WriterCoach Connection is currently serving 11 schools in West Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Our goal is to help students think critically and to express their ideas clearly and confidently in writing. To develop these skills, crucial to college and workplace success, most students need more support than their schools can provide. In a national survey by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, 91% of employers stated that their hiring process placed the greatest priority on a demonstrated proficiency in skills and knowledge that cut across majors. Of 17 outcome areas tested, written and oral communication, teamwork skills, ethical decision making, critical
thinking, and the ability to apply knowledge in real-world settings were most highly valued. Our coaches help to bridge the gap between the instruction teachers must provide and the personalized attention that students need to develop those all important skills. "It's like having 35 teachers in my classroom," one El Cerrito High School teacher marveled.
Our trained coaches work with each and every student in the classroom 8 to 14 times during the school year, each session lasting 30 to 45 minutes depending on the individual school's lesson block. These individualized coaching sessions benefit every student, providing the differentiated attention that remains an elusive goal in most public schools. Our coaches play a unique role in the academic lives of the students we serve – creating a positive and non-judgmental space in which they feel safe enough to express themselves and encouraging them to be active learners as opposed to passive recipients of information. The inclusiveness of the program is especially beneficial for at-risk students because it eliminates the stigma associated with remedial tutoring and ensures that struggling students who might otherwise fall through the cracks receive the help they need and too often do not seek on their own.
In 2016, in response to stated needs by educators and students, coaches in our College and Career Readiness program module began working in classroom settings and after-school programs on senior personal statements, early assessment test preparation. and other crucial college readiness projects.
Since 2001, WriterCoach Connection has sent teams of trained community volunteers into secondary school English classrooms to work one on one with students on their writing assignments. During the 2015-16 school year, 639 volunteer coaches worked with and encouraged students in 70 East Bay classrooms. WriterCoach Connection is currently serving 11 schools in West Contra Costa and Alameda Counties.
Our goal is to help students think critically and to express their ideas clearly and confidently in writing. To develop these skills, crucial to college and workplace success, most students need more support than their schools can provide. In a national survey by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, 91% of employers stated that their hiring process placed the greatest priority on a demonstrated proficiency in skills and knowledge that cut across majors. Of 17 outcome areas tested, written and oral communication, teamwork skills, ethical decision making, critical
thinking, and the ability to apply knowledge in real-world settings were most highly valued. Our coaches help to bridge the gap between the instruction teachers must provide and the personalized attention that students need to develop those all important skills. "It's like having 35 teachers in my classroom," one El Cerrito High School teacher marveled.
Our trained coaches work with each and every student in the classroom 8 to 14 times during the school year, each session lasting 30 to 45 minutes depending on the individual school's lesson block. These individualized coaching sessions benefit every student, providing the differentiated attention that remains an elusive goal in most public schools. Our coaches play a unique role in the academic lives of the students we serve – creating a positive and non-judgmental space in which they feel safe enough to express themselves and encouraging them to be active learners as opposed to passive recipients of information. The inclusiveness of the program is especially beneficial for at-risk students because it eliminates the stigma associated with remedial tutoring and ensures that struggling students who might otherwise fall through the cracks receive the help they need and too often do not seek on their own.
In 2016, in response to stated needs by educators and students, coaches in our College and Career Readiness program module began working in classroom settings and after-school programs on senior personal statements, early assessment test preparation. and other crucial college readiness projects.
Why WriterCoach Connection Matters
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This video was made possible by support from Monika and David Eisenbud and the Simons Foundation.
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Media Academy Video
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Learn how students and teachers respond to WCC's writer coaching
in this short video produced by students at Fremont High School's
Media Academy in Oakland.
in this short video produced by students at Fremont High School's
Media Academy in Oakland.
