A program called iPivoted enables donors to support individual students with an abundance of drive to succeed in college but without the resources to make it happen. To help students apply for these donor scholarships, iPivoted teamed with the West Contra Costa Public Education Fund on August 16 to sponsor a Scholar's Retreat and give students one-on-one help crafting their stories for their scholarship applications. To find writer coaches to work with the students, the Ed. Fund turned to WriterCoach Connection, and our volunteers responded with enthusiasm, coming in to sit down and do what they do best: help students, one on one, with their writing.
Clearly pleased with the support, Ed. Fund Program Assistant Zuhair Saadat commented, "The event was a great success and that was due in no small part to the effort of all the volunteers we found through WriterCoach Connection."
Robert Bunce, Ed. Fund Program Director, noted, "What a real testament to the value of the WriterCoach Connection when a room full of teenagers asks for more time to work on essays with their mentors on a Tuesday morning during the summer."
Added Ed. Fund Executive Director Joel Mackey, "I want to thank your team of volunteers for working with us and our scholar students. It was a wonderful connection for them and us."
Many thanks to coaches Marilyn Alberts, Dona Boatright, Pam Crane, Kris Hafner, Nick Keefe, Karen Larson, Dale Marshall, Alana Siegel, and Kent Wright, for giving up some valuable summer hours to support these students, the Ed. Fund, and iPivoted.
Here is Alana Siegel, a WCC volunteer at King Middle School in Berkeley, helping a student reach for the stars at the Scholar's Retreat in Richmond on Tuesday.
Bob Menzimer
