Hi all,
It’s been a while since we’ve posted anything. Just wanted to let you know that we’re still here! Year 3 is in it’s second half, and we’ve got about 20 consistent tutors; THANK YOU!

Happy new year all. More to come…

All but one of our tutors from last year, is returning for our Third Year!

Our starting lineup includes Garrett, Dan, Vivek, Marcia, Hallie, Karen, Frank, Bob, Jeanine, Elizabeth, Mike, Steph, and Angela.

Our newest tutors are Megan and Su, and our new subs are Stephanie M, Tracie, and Becki.

Thank you to all of you who make this program possible!!!

“Solving our nation’s urban education problems will take more than amazing teachers and competent administration.

It will take MORE than policy changes from Washington that bring more resources.  It will take MORE than cooperation from local police departments and the care of social service agencies. It will take the involvement of businesses, museums, cultural institutions, CHURCHES, and hospitals…

Personal success often begins with someone knowing that victory is a possibility.”…

(Click HERE to view this inspiring op-ed from Matthew Kay of the NYT)

Our confirmed Fall 2008 dates have been posted in the widget on the right-hand side.

We are looking for a few substitutes for our Fall term, so if you are interested, please drop us a comment and we’ll get back to you!

We’re very excited that all but one of our tutors from last year will be returning this fall! Your consistency is so important to the kids and to us. Thank you! We’re looking forward to a great year!

~The 313.

We hope you enjoyed your summer off!

We’re up and running again! We’ve set our Fall schedule and we’re excited to meet with out tutors/mentors to talk about this Season’s happenings on Sunday, September 14th in Ann Arbor.

If you’re new to this group and are interested in joining, please drop us a comment and we’ll get you in the loop!

See you all soon!

On Saturday, we said ‘Goodbye’ to Lisa, our longtime Tutor and Friend. Lisa will be leaving in January to work in IJM’s field office in Cambodia. We will miss her, and pray for her protection, safety, and blessing upon the lives she will touch in Cambodia.

So… here’s my brief rendition of Saturday’s events (in case you  missed them!)

We moved our program to the Detroit Public Library on Saturday because CDC was having a first-aid training at their headquarters. We arrive at CDC in the morning, Mike goes to get the van to do pick-ups. He starts to back out the car, and lo and behold – there’s a complete flat tire.  He calls me and we divy up the rounds between our cars. We arrive at the library with no less than four cars, all of the children in tow, and begin our program.

I bring carrots and string cheese for snack. The cheese is always a great hit, the carrots -not so much. Sigh. How will we secretly sneak in produce into their diet? (note- the City of Detroit has no grocery stores).

The kids are great, (Justin misses Garrett – A LOT), we say our goodbyes and head home. I’m finally driving on the 94 back toward Ann Arbor and receive a call from Nishba. I forgot to drop off the van keys. Sigh. We turn around, head to the church she’s at (avoiding the funeral procession coming out of it), and then make our way back to Ann Arbor, just 25 minutes later than our normal “back in tree town” deadline.

Just another normal 313 day. Sure, things come up. We’ve managed. Our volunteers are great at rolling with all of the unknowns that seem to spring up last minute.  Versatility and flexibility are a must – if you want to be in this program. You just can’t plan for everything, right? We survived our last program day!!

Stay tuned – Donna is planning a great little awards ceremony for next Saturday. Send her your nominations for “best” and “most likely.” We’re hitting up the Tigers v. Oakland game next Saturday afternoon to celebrate a job well done for our kids and volunteers.

Join us for the fun! We’re also secretly using this day to plan our summer book club to help some of our kids read. Interested? Drop us a comment or email us.

I had to write and give credit to Vivek for speaking his mind and conviction, in an Opinion letter in the Detroit Free Press on May 6th. Click here for the article. 

Thanks, Vivek, for sharing your passion and thoughts on ways to achieve a more just and fair system that is mindful of our children’s best interest.