The Ohio State University Kid Corps Program
Program Model
OSU Kid Corps members are organized into small teams that work with the preschool children in a 1 to 2 ratio, e.g., a classroom of 18 preschoolers are divided into three groups of six with three OSU Kid Corps members assigned to each group. Each mentor team is responsible for activities and sessions based on the ideas and interests of the children in their group. The group to group mentor model allows close relationships between OSU Kid Corps members and the children as well and provides opportunities for enhancing peer relationships and positive social skills in the children's group. By working with small groups of children, each team can focus on the children's interests and create long term projects based on those interests. The program model also allows the preschool children to play a role in establishing their own behavior expectations and learning environment, developing their skills as citizens in their micro-community.
The program year and activities are divided into four phases:
Phase 1 - Autumn Quarter: Following orientation and pre-service training, Kid Corps members are organized into small mentoring teams that work with preschool children in Head Start Centers in a 1 to 2 ratio for 135 minutes twice a week (e.g., a typical classroom of 18 preschoolers would be divided into three groups of six with three Kid Corps members assigned to each group of six preschoolers). The mentoring teams are coordinated and supported by an additional Corps member serving in the role of Team Coordinator. Each mentor team is responsible for activities and sessions based on the ideas and interests of the preschool children in their group and that model the principles of the evidence-based practices. The group-to-group mentor model allows the development of close relationships between Kid Corps members and the children as well as opportunities to enhance peer relationships and positive social skills in the children's group. By working with small groups of children, each team can focus on the children's interests and create long-term projects based on those interests. The program model also allows the preschool children to play a role in establishing their own behavior expectations and learning environment, developing their skills as citizens in their micro-community.
Each mentor team spends part of the time they are with their six children (45 min.) out of the regular classroom engaging in a small team session (each group rotates out and back in to the classroom one at a time). Small team session play and learning activities in this phase allows the development of trust between Kid Corps members and the children as well as building peer relationships within the children's group. Learning activities include dialogic reading, a widely researched and validated shared reading and emergent literacy method. The teams that remain in the classroom at any given time serve as additional help to the classroom teacher. This allows the Kid Corps members to develop a working relationship with the classroom teachers and to gain a better understanding of how the early childhood classrooms to which they are assigned work.
During this time and continuing throughout the year, Corps members also have contact with the parents through scheduled meetings focused on the exchange of information that will connect classroom life with home life. Corps members pass on materials that support parents in working on educational activities at home and/or to make connections for interested parents with outreach activities at OSU.
Corps members spend an additional 45 minutes in planning on each of the two session days. Corps members also spend an additional five hours per week in individually scheduled service, either helping in their assigned classrooms or contributing to other early childhood projects in the community.
Phase 2 - Winter Quarter: During this phase, the Kid Corps member teams provide activities for the entire classroom of children at the same time, essentially being responsible for the all the activities during the session. Session activities are organized around the children's interests and the classroom teacher is available to offer support and feedback. At the beginning of this phase, the regular classroom teachers and helpers are in the classroom to observe modeling of the dialogic approach to reading, the positive behavioral support approach to classroom management, and the involvement of healthy living information into classroom activities as well as to offer support and feedback to the Corps members.
Since the students have completed the requirements (background check, health checks, training) to manage the classroom without the presence of a teacher, as the quarter progresses, the regular teachers in those classrooms are offered the opportunity to participate in EHE developed distance learning on research-based modules during the student-led session times. Parent outreach as well as information and resource support for the participating centers is also offered throughout this phase.
Phase 3 - Spring Quarter: During this phase, students continue to provide activities in the classroom, but their non-session hours are spent on advanced community-focused service activities. Some corps members are trained to provide model sessions and resources for home care providers (who also have access to the distance learning modules), others are involved in extending children's group projects such as a nutrition garden into the community. Those who are part of the summer program work with partnering centers and Columbus Public Schools, and assist in marketing the summer program among home care providers and families in the service neighborhoods.
Phase 4 - Summer: The summer program enables us to extend literacy, social skills, and healthy living activities beyond the academic school year. We also engage a number of Columbus Public Schools high school students (also from our service neighborhoods) in the program in a rich learning experience that is supported by a stipend. We target high school students who have an interest in teaching or in other work with children. However, we also consider youth with other primary interests who exhibit an interest and commitment to working with us in the summer program. The program is designed for the Kid Corps college students to work with the high school students in a team mentoring relationship, i.e., one Kid Corps member works as a team leader with four of the high school students. As students who are working their way through college and at the same time contributing to their community, we see the Kid Corps members as powerful role models for the high school students.
The Kid Corps members along with local high school students, selected through an application and interview process coordinated through Columbus Public Schools High School and Career Development Office, provide a camp experience for children enrolled in the summer program. The camp operates at a local Columbus Public Schools elementary site Monday through Thursday with Friday being reserved for planning activities, preparing materials, and supplemental training for the summer crew.
The focus of the summer activities are the same three target areas: literacy, behavioral/social skills, and nutrition and physical activity. However, because the summer camp is a more open experience, activities are structured to accommodate a wider age range than the preschool children we serve during the school year. Selected activities are appropriate for children through the 5th grade.
The summer program is marketed to families both in the school attendance area and adjacent neighborhoods.
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