Winter 2012 Partnership Magazine - College of Education Home ...

College of
Education in the
20
Mankato Community
Among all the NExT activities and Center
for School-University Partnerships projects,
the College of Education has built another
partnership with the community to impact
Mankato students and families. Last year,
Mymique Baxter, the College’s Student Relations
Coordinator, began to work with Abdul Alasow
in response to a need he saw in the community.
Their partnership invites children from the
community to Minnesota State University,
Mankato, for extra help with their schoolwork.
They are known as the Saturday Study Buddies.
Baxter and Alasow have built relationships
between all sides of a child’s education,
including teachers who make materials and
assignments available as needed. Several
education students from College and content
areas volunteer to direct age-appropriate
learning in the Educational Resource Center
of the University library for two hours each
Saturday morning. The impact on
Mankato’s children has
increased since it
began in spring
2011 to recently
serving about
25 students
of all ages
last semester
in eight
sessions.
Alasow
reached out to
Baxter in the
College of
Education for a
connection in reaching
Somali students, whose
parents needed help
supporting many
of their
children in their school learning. Habiba Elmi brings
her children each Saturday to make more time for their
education. She communicates with Baxter on specific
subject help that’s needed each week between
children from the families involved.
As the school year developed, students needed
more help with Math and Science content, especially
in acquiring these basic principles as elementary
students. For that need, the Study Buddies participated
in the MN-ACS Chemists in the Library event on
campus that was part of the American Chemical
Society’s National Chemistry Week, where chemistry
and biochemistry students volunteered to make science
real through experiments. The need may extend into
a Homework helpers program or a summer program
where students can continue reinforcing science and
math learning from the school year.
Fanah Adam, another parent, expressed a
benefit in bringing children to the University for
extended learning, in that it can familiarize them with
the idea of attending a college such as this one in
the future. He also appreciates the opportunity for his
children to be able to receive one-on-one tutoring,
which seems to work best in solidifying their
learning.
Occurring alongside the new AVID
program at Mankato West, this program
adds hope for making academic success
a reality for all students. The partnership
could go full-time due to its rapid growth
and strong relationships. New and
existing buddies could receive more
help on Sundays, tutorial sessions
for Science and Math could help
students during the week, all
while strategic partners are
sought within the schools for
even more impacts, including
PDS Teachers-on-Special-
Assignment.
For more information,
contact Mymique Baxter
(mymique.baxter@
mnsu.edu) in the
College of Education
or Abdul Alasow
(abdulkadir.alasow@
mnsu.edu).
Minnesota
State
Mankato
teacher
candidate
reading with
Mankato children
in library
http://ed.mnsu.edu/csup/