Lending an ear to a person takes on a new meaning when it is part of the E.A.R.S. program. “Everyone Able to Read through Sharing,” is a program that was created over 10 years ago through the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
It takes on special meaning as schools across the nation observe National Education Week which concludes today. The week, sponsored by the National Educational Association, aims to raise awareness about various educational issues.
Volunteers Arlene Schamaun, Frances Fanshier and Marylou Warren, director of RSVP at the time, created the program through an America Read’s initiative. This program has led to seven schools in Great Bend plus the addition of Hoisington this year.
Twenty-two volunteers lend their time and talent to listening to children read and helping them with comprehension and pronunciation resulting in stronger readers. They can also help assist with math and other reading skills.
Lorrayne Eveleigh, volunteer director of the E.A.R.S. program recruits and coordinates volunteers for the program and is thrilled at the participation and enthusiasm of the volunteers. Volunteers go to a participating school of their choice and the teacher assigns them to a student who will benefit from some one-on-one assistance for a better understanding of the lesson.  Schools involved in the program are Lincoln, Riley, Jefferson, Eisenhower, Park Elementary, Holy Family and Central Kansas Christian Academy. The schools in Hoisington involved in E.A.R.S. include Lincoln and Roosevelt.
 “Not only does this help improve reading skills for the child,” says Eveleigh, “but the extra attention and encouragement makes all the difference in the life of that child.”
Norma Butler, has been part of the E.A.R.S. program for a while now. She had worked at Jefferson as a para for over 20 years and when she retired she looked for something she could do to continue her work with children. Through the E.A.R.S. program she goes back to Jefferson on Tuesdays and Thursdays and helps first graders with word cards and reading.
“Teachers just don’t have time to give 22 students the individual attention they sometimes need,” says Butler. “I can help them with new words, listen to their reading and encourage them to read more. It really accelerates their reading skills and it makes me feel good.”
During National Education Week, Eveleigh wants to thank all the volunteers that help with E.A.R.S. and all the other volunteer programs that exist in our school systems.
These NEW activities will be part of a nationwide effort to draw attention to American Education Week’s tagline, “Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibililty.”
The tagline represents a vision of calling upon all Americans to do their part in making public schools great for every child, so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century.
Eveleigh encourages anyone that would like to volunteer to call her at 620-792-1614.