Teens Serving their Community in Colorado

Mapleton Students Make a Difference

For most, high school is a turbulent four years filled with fun, friends, proms, SATs, ACTs, cliques, social highs and lows – and, often, tests, tests, and more tests. High school marks a transition from adolescence to adulthood, shaping us by choices and experiences that will in many ways define who we will be as adults. We learn and grow as individuals and members of society during these four formative years.

In Mapleton, Colorado, students are learning and growing by volunteering their time and skills in the community. At Mapleton Early College (MEC), a public high school located in Denver, Colorado, students are required to complete internship hours as a prerequisite for graduation. While some students may groan at the thought of donating their precious time working for local organizations, many students view the time they spend volunteering in the community among the most rewarding and life changing experiences in their high school careers.

Volunteering Boosts College and Career Prospects

Tutoring with Reading Partners offers many opportunities to advance one’s college and career prospects. Tutors get to experience the joy of making a difference in children’s lives, while also gaining valuable life experiences. According to some studies, their volunteer experience may even help them land a job.

Here are 10 reasons why becoming a Reading Partners tutor is a smart choice for high school students.As a Reading Partners Tutor, you:

1. Make a difference in the life of a child in your community.
2. Learn marketable career skills.
3. Gain valuable life skills.
4. Add impressive experience to your resume and college applications.
5. Try out new career options.
6. Make new friends and connections, and network with future references.
7. Develop or hone your leadership skills.
8. Discover new content ideas for college essays.
9. Challenge yourself.
10. Have a lot of fun and make great memories.

Partnering for Student Success

MEC high school senior and Reading Partners tutor, Derek, thinks that giving back is important because “it shows character” and Bianca says she gives back because someone helped her when she was younger and “we need to help each other so the world keeps moving forward.”

As one of the handful of organizations partnering with MEC, Reading Partners Colorado is proud to work with six Mapleton students interning at three different reading centers. Reading Partners Site Coordinator Alicia Thompson believes the trend of socially-aware young people is having a great impact in our Reading Centers. “It’s great to have high school students in our reading centers, they are fun, and the scholars at Wyatt really enjoy having high school students as tutors and mentors,” said Alicia.

If you are 14 years or older, you can become a Reading Partner and make a difference in a child’s life while gaining valuable experience at the same time! Visit the Reading Partners website to find out more and sign up to volunteer.