Making a Difference RSVP volunteers in Middlesex County, New Jersey, help protect kids from the dangers of lead-based paint. While the state requires all children under age six receive tests for lead poisoning, this had not been totally done. Eight RSVP volunteers, all of them bilingual in English and Spanish, have stepped up to meet the challenge. They're assigned to the Middlesex County Health Department where they translate informational materials and forms into Spanish, conduct outreach, educate parents and help them fill out forms, and do home screening. Students are much more engaged and are starting to see clearly the relationship of theory and practical application.
Professionals suddenly have a very invigorated classroom of young people asking difficult questions.
David Ray of the United Negro College Fund speaks at a National Service-Learning Clearinghouse meeting in Minneapolis. The RSVP volunteers find any little corner in the school and turn it into a learning spot. They have made quite an impression on our first graders and help them become better readers. Alicia Garcia, principal at Patlan Elementary School in Seguin, Texas. The experience changed my whole focus.