Volunteer of the month: Corki Jarvis

Corki Jarvis is a retired elementary school teacher who is committed to giving back to her community through volunteering. After moving to North Carolina, Corki was introduced to Rick Espinoza through mutual friends in their neighborhood. Rick and his wife, Carollyn, had previously volunteered with Science is Elementary in the Bay Area and were hoping to bring the program to their new community. The Science is for Me! program (formerly SiE Books) was a great opportunity to bring Science is Elementary’s lessons to students outside of the Bay Area. The group of volunteers arranged to bring Science is for Me books to the kindergarten students in one school in Brunswick, N.C. Corki had worked as a kindergarten teacher for many years, so this seemed like a great fit for her.

Corki’s teaching experience proved invaluable in training the other volunteers, many of whom had not previously worked with children. Corki started meeting with the other volunteers before each session to go over the lesson and share tips on presenting the materials. Initially, the group worked with pre-packed kits for the students, but they quickly realized that passing out a complete set of materials to the kindergarten students caused a lot of chaos in the groups. Sorting the materials onto plates to distribute as needed and preventing distractions from the workspace solved the issue. Corki also used her resources from teaching to create vocabulary cards that could be posted throughout the lesson.

Corki really enjoyed using the Science is for Me! books. “It’s easy and fun,” she said. As a teacher, she appreciates the hands-on, small-group activities and that the books are so visual. They encourage the students to use their prior knowledge or schemas to tell the story, which is part of reading development. She has the students make predictions about the story and then check to see if their predictions were correct. The lack of text in the student books means that they are accessible to all students, regardless of reading level. Taking a book home means that the students can be the teacher when they share it with their families.

Corki has recruited several other volunteers to join, including her husband. Her advice to those considering volunteering in the classroom? “Take a leap… you’ll enjoy it!” She reports that many of their volunteers have been delighted that the students are excited to recognize them each time and remember the activities from previous lessons.

In addition to volunteering with Science is Elementary, Corki also volunteers with a local sea turtle rescue organization, at a hospital, and is involved in a community theater group.