ACE News
Big Champs, Little Champs, Field Trips, and Bats
June 24, 2011
ACE's after-school tutoring program, Literacy Champions, pairs community volunteers with second-grade students at Allison Elementary to provide additional literacy support through writing and reading activities. The students look forward to seeing their "Big Champs" every week. Many of the Big Champs are staff members at the law firm Baker Botts.
The Literacy Champions celebrated a year of hard work and literacy growth with an exciting field trip, sponsored by Baker Botts. Little Champs traveled from Allison Elementary to Baker Botts' downtown offices. The field trip provided many new experiences for the Little Champs, many of whom had never visited downtown Austin. None of the children had been to an office before, and they were thrilled to see where their Big Champs worked. Baker Botts also provided dinner for the children, which was served in a conference room that overlooked Lady Bird Lake.
After dinner, Big Champs and Little Champs walked across the Congress Avenue Bridge to watch the Austin bats fly out at dusk. Watching the bats was a brand new experience for all of the Little Champs. The children were able to make real-world connections to previous Literacy Champions lessons, which featured the life cycles and habitats of bats. A big thanks to Baker Botts for making this field trip happen!
Kati Hinkson
ACE Tutor