Hopefully by now, you’ve heard about Whiz Kids coming to Council Road in August! I am so excited and wish August was TOMORROW. We have been praying over at The CUBE for a long time about what’s next for this space. We felt a pull that there was something more for us and began looking into a lot of different options and going on site tours. As soon as we sat down to meet with Whiz Kids, we knew it was right.
Whiz Kids is a faith-based, tutoring and mentoring program designed for 1st-4th graders in areas of high dropout rates and low socio-economic conditions in Oklahoma City. Approximately 71% of 4th grade students in Oklahoma read below proficiency level, and percentages are worse in schools in high-poverty neighborhoods. They have an amazing track record due to the one-on-one relationships they establish between a tutor and a student. After one year of tutoring, kids in the Whiz Kids program score an average of 37 points higher on state reading tests than their fellow students.
I think our church is ready for this. I’m ready for it. I can’t wait to meet the students, develop relationships, and be a part of our community in a consistent and in-depth way. Whiz Kids lines up so perfectly with the heart of our church: we love kids, our community, and loving people by proclaiming the gospel and being a part of their journey so they can flourish. God’s hand in this is so evident, down to us filling one of the most important roles of an on-site coordinator. One morning, Sarah Hagar and I were bouncing names around of people who we thought would be great and Jenna-Laine Price’s name came up. As many of you know, JL has a background in education and a passion for our community, ministry, and kids. I walk back to the CUBE and who do I see? JL walking out of the offices. I stutter and stumble through my excitement and manage to pitch her the idea. A few days later, she’s on the team.
Every Tuesday from 3:30-5:30, kids from Council Grove Elementary will pour into the CUBE for a meal, Bible club time, and one-on-one tutoring. We are asking you, our church, to pray and consider how you might be involved. First of all, we need tutors! Without tutors, there will be no Whiz Kids. We are looking into options for childcare so that moms can join the ranks of tutors. You might want to check with your work to see if they offer volunteer time off or if they would be open to it. Maybe you want to help serve the meal, help with transportation, or be a part of the celebrations that we will have a couple of times a year. It is going to be a joy to serve together and I just can’t wait.
If you would like more information or want to sign up to volunteer, you can contact Jenna-Laine Price at jenna.lain.price@gmail.com, visit the Whiz Kids website, or go to councilroad.church/missions.
Meet the Author!
Makenzie graduated from Wheaton College where she majored in Christian Ministry, Urban Studies, and Photography and somehow managed to apply all of her degrees to work in the real world! She has a passion for community development after years working in urban ministry in Chicago, non-profits in Austin, and part-time roles at CRBC the past 4&1/2 years. She loves being able to equip and serve the church and recently stepped into the full-time role as Minister of Missions at CRBC which includes both local and global partnerships. Despite being the missions minister, she is quite the homebody. She is an avid Harry Potter fan, loves Oklahoma City, and loves to be with her friends, family, and ADORABLE weenie dog, May.