ACE News
ACE Welcomes 116 Incoming Tutors
October 2010
September 18, 2010 will go down in the history books as the day over 100 amazing people came together to commit to a year of service with ACE: A Community for Education. ACE tutors are recent college graduates, current college students, and people from the communities we serve. All ACE tutors met at the University of Texas Thompson Center where the tutors were sworn in as official members of AmeriCorps.
The day began with ACE Program Director Dr. Mary Ellen Isaacs introducing the ACE program and mission. Members come from a variety of backgrounds and countries, some speak multiple languages, and many have traveled from different places to be a part of the program. A short video was shown about the history of AmeriCorps and why service is so important to all communities.
Being a literacy-based program, next on the program was a story. ACE staff member Dr. Sheryl Prater read Across the Stream, a delightfully relevant tale of how, by working with and helping one another, we can accomplish our goals.
The day ended with Dr. Ramona Trevino, Chief Academic Officer of Austin Independent School District (AISD), and Jacquie Porter, Director of Early Childhood Education for AISD, performing the swearing-in ceremony. All in attendance stood, raised their right hands, and recited the AmeriCorps Pledge. It was an amazing experience and a day of celebrating service.
This year, ACE will serve over 1,500 students, providing small-group literacy tutoring and intensive one-to-one tutoring for young struggling readers. We are excited to begin a partnership with United Way and Workforce Solutions that expands our model beyond AISD elementary schools to serve three- and four-year-olds at six childcare centers in east Austin.
Great job to all ACE members who took part in the ceremony! We are proud of your commitment to service to our community and look forward to a wonderful year together.