CSUN offers new class on mentoring

A new course is being offered at Cal State University Northridge (CSUN) this fall that will give students a chance to serve as mentors and tutors in Los Angeles Unified School District.

The course, offered through the university’s Center for Community-Service Learning, will have CSUN students work with children in 13 elementary and middle schools in Woodland Hills, West Hills, Tarzana and Canoga Park. The new class is offered in partnership with the Woodland Hills-based West Valley Academic Mentor Program, which has been providing mentors to elementary, middle and high school students in the southwest section of the Valley since 1995.

CSUN students will spend a total of 30 hours over the semester working one-on-one with elementary and middle school children two-and-a-half hours each week during lunch and after school. Though the students will be required to keep regular journals of their experiences, write essays and take part in discussions, there will be no exams.

"Mentors learn important information about literacy and teaching reading through the training they receive, and they earn the satisfaction of knowing they are making a powerful contribution to our youth and community," said Maureen Rubin, director of CSUN’s Center for Community-Service Learning. "Mentored students in our program are outperforming similar, non-mentored students by 29 percent."

For more information about the center, please call (818) 677-7395.