Karen Young

This past month I had the pleasure of watching our first Spanish Sweet Readers program come to life.  7th and 8th graders from De La Salle Academy in Manhattan made almost immediate connections with older adults at the Tejano Center in Houston.  The creation of these bridged communities - already connecting like old friends, was the collaborative work of many people in both communities.  Teachers, administrators, aides, students, older adults, friends and colleagues came together in beautiful … [Read more...]

Kate

What is a leader? While this is an extremely complex question, I believe it can be narrowed down to two distinct attributes: motivation and empathy. A leader must be motivated because their energy is what inspires those who follow them.  If the leader’s morale is low, the entire team following them risks collapse.  A leader must also exhibit empathy.  They must have a deep understanding of each person who they lead in order to be an effective leader.  A leader should have a keen ability to read … [Read more...]

Samantha

KM:  Tell me a little bit about yourself (name, age, where you go to school)  SK:  My name is Samantha K. (you can call me Sam).  I went to the Spence School in Manhattan and am now a junior at Brown.  I’m concentrating in Art History and Psychology.   KM:  How long have you been working with sweet readers? What is your current position in the organization?  SK:  In 6th grade I was a Sweet Reader.  Then in high school, I was on the Leadership Council and I was the head of the science … [Read more...]

Veronica

On Monday, I interviewed Kate M., a junior at Trinity School. She was initially introduced to Sweet Readers by a friend at school in 7th grade, and worked with the same elder through the program  for two years. This experience inspired her to apply for and join the Leadership Council in her Freshman Year, which she has been a part of ever since. Kate says that Sweet Readers empowers young people in a huge way: “we are given a lot of responsibility [and are] inspired to navigate a super … [Read more...]