BUILD (UC Berkeley’s Public Service Center)

Website: https://publicservice.berkeley.edu/programs/build

Description

BUILD is a one-to-one reading mentoring program through UC Berkeley Public Service Center. Through BUILD, UC Berkeley college student mentors are matched with K-5th grade Oakland elementary school youth who are behind in reading. By providing individualized reading attention, BUILD helps children reach the critical benchmark of third grade reading proficiency.

Literacy Programs

BUILD mentors work in teams to provide consistent mentorship after school. BUILD’s model focuses on:

Commitment: Each BUILD mentor is matched with a student (called “scholar”) who they then mentor for the entire semester or academic year. This allows each mentor to develop a strong working relationship with their scholar.

Individualization: Mentor/scholar pairs meet 1:1 at least twice a week for 30-45 minute long reading sessions that include word work, fluency practice, or reading comprehension

Extra Reading: Instead of pulling children away from class time during the day, mentors work after school.