Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary’s College
(574) 284-4579 (desk)
(574) 286-4977 (cell)
March 19, 2009 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—The Indiana Campus Compact (ICC) recently announced that Warren Primary Center is the recipient of its “2009 Outstanding Community Partner Award” for the school’s relationship with the College’s Office for Civic and Social Engagement (OCSE). ICC will formally recognize the South Bend school at an ICC event in Indianapolis on April 15. It is the inaugural year for the annual award, which celebrates partnerships between ICC member institutions and community organizations. OCSE nominated Warren for the award.
“Institutions of higher education bear a responsibility to their local communities,” said Carrie Call, director of OCSE. “Our partnership with Warren has shown how much can be accomplished when people work together. The work our students have done at Warren is life changing and transformative. We are so thankful to Warren for the opportunity to share in such significant opportunities.”
Saint Mary’s relationship with Warren Primary Center began in 2006 when OCSE began its College Academy of Tutoring (CAT) program. CAT places Saint Mary's College students in Title 1 South Bend public schools to serve as tutors, reading partners, teacher’s assistants and interns. The College provides Warren with after-school tutor help and teacher’s assistant support in English as a New Language (ENL) classrooms. The partnership has also led to the creation of a pen pal program between Warren and Saint Mary’s students.
Since the ENL program began in the fall of 2007, 19 bilingual Saint Mary’s students have served as teacher’s assistants in Warren’s classrooms, furnishing every ENL class with at least one Saint Mary’s assistant at any given a time.
In the fall of 2008, CAT and Warren staff created an after-school tutoring program in response to the school corporation’s elimination of a tutoring program. So far, 15 Saint Mary’s volunteers have offered over 130 hours helping Warren students on their reading skills. Last semester, two tutored students jumped five reading levels.
The Pen Pals program, started in 2006, is designed to build the social skills of 4th grade girls. Saint Mary’s students meet with the girls once a week to work on the letters and teambuilding and educational activities centered on a specific social skill. The 4th graders visit the College in the spring to meet their pen pals face to face. It’s often the girls’ first exposure to the college experience.
Media interested in interview and video/photo opportunities associated with this partnership between Warren Primary Center and Saint Mary’s College should contact Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. The College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary's College ranks among the nation's top liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report's 2009 annual survey. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
