Help Oakland Teens Succeed—Become a Writing Coach

by Lynn Mueller

Writer Coach Connection (WCC) is coming to Oakland this fall. Following eight years of success in Berkeley and Albany schools, WCC will bring teams of trained community volunteers to The Media Academy, one of the Fremont Federated High Schools on Foothill Blvd, to work with students on their classroom writing assignments. WCC, a program of the nonprofit Community Alliance for Learning, is actively recruiting volunteers to work one-on-one with Media’s 10th grade students this coming school year.

WCC volunteers receive training in step-by-step strategies to help students at all levels of ability to think deeply and write clearly. In 25 to 30-minute writing conferences, coaches reinforce teacher lessons, provide encouragement, and challenge students to think critically. The volunteer commitment is about two hours per week during the school day on Thursday or Friday, two weeks per month. No professional writing, editing, or teaching experience is necessary. WCC encourages coaches from diverse backgrounds and walks of life. Volunteers will need a negative TB test and may be subject to fingerprinting and a background check. To learn more and register, go to www.writercoachconnection.org

With a successful launch at Media Academy, WCC hopes to expand to other Oakland secondary schools in the future. During 2007-08, 280 WCC volunteers provided six to ten coaching sessions throughout the year to over 1,500 students in Berkley and Albany. “I’m a huge fan of WCC,” says Berkeley middle school teacher Martha Cain. “The one-on-one attention students get is priceless.” Please contact Lynn Mueller, writercoachconnect@yahoo.com, 524-2319.