The Mission of Every Classroom Counts is to promote scholastic success and personal growth through mentoring and volunteering in order to help close the achievement gap among Siouxland youth.

Description:
Every Classroom Counts was created to help close the achievement gap among Sioux City students, especially in the area of Reading. It is a school based mentoring program. There are two components of Every Classroom Counts: volunteers and mentors.

Volunteers assist the teacher in a classroom to work with individuals or groups on academic projects, assignments and activities. Mentors are matched with one child and work directly with that same child each week during the school year.

History:
Every Classroom Counts was established through the collaboration of Sioux City Community School District, United Way of Siouxland and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Siouxland. Initiating the collaboration was United Way and their creation of Community Impact Teams, comprised of representatives from agencies, government entities, community leaders, clients and volunteers. Community Impact Teams were created to help identify ways the community could assist in reducing students’ reading achievement gap. Sioux City Community School District involved teachers and principals to determine what they believed external organizations could do or provide that would have the greatest potential to impact the achievement gap. Both groups identified classroom volunteers and mentors as a significant need; with this declaration, Every Classroom Counts was created.

Contact people:

Matt Gaul, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email) Valerie Kovarna, Administrative Assistant, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (712) 239-9895

Address:

600 4th Street, Suite 112 Sioux City, IA 51101 (See a map)

Web Site: None specified