Partner: Ekklesia Hattiesburg Ministries 

Students impacted: 312
Volunteers: 10
Duration of partnership: 10 years

Neighbors @ Hawkins is a community-rooted program created by Ekklesia Hattiesburg Ministries. The program's mission is to help provide a quality education for all students by direct tutoring, volunteering and connecting financial resources to classroom needs. Neighbors @ Hawkins has provided a fulltime program coordinator to work at Hawkins to coordinate volunteer efforts and also partnered with America Reads Mississippi to hire four full-time AmeriCorps tutors.

Activities:

• Partnership programs supported by 4 full-time tutors (AmeriCorps), 30 regular volunteers, 15 active student mentors, 4 active church partnerships, 1 program coordinator

• Small-group after-school tutoring for students

• Mentoring, book reading, tutoring, assisting with assignments

• Volunteers help teachers by filing papers, decorating bulletin boards, making copies

• Support for Fall Festival, school dances, Field Day, Honor Roll Recognition and other events

 Impacts:

• Mid-year I-Ready Assessment diagnostics revealed increases in student scores

• 50% of 3rd graders advanced in math

• 70% of 4th graders and 15% of 5th graders showed significant gains

• 97% of third graders passed spring 2017 Third Grade Reading Gate on first attempt — the highest rate within Hattiesburg Public School District

• Fewer students reading below grade level based on 2017-2018 data