Dear Friend,

I am writing to ask your help in a project I believe holds great promise for the children of the Woodlawn community.  For several months, Woodlawn community leaders have been involved in a series of discussions that has led to the creation of The Woodlawn Children’s Promise Zone. Modeled in part on the Harlem Children’s Zone, The Woodlawn Children’s Promise Zone is striving to make Woodlawn the kind of youth-oriented community our children deserve to grow up in. We are developing initiatives in health care and preschool, we are looking to expand afterschool and summer learning opportunities, and we are planning leadership development programs. 

One of our most important priorities is helping youngsters get off to a better start in school. As a first step toward that goal, we plan to develop a massive tutoring program in the nine elementary schools of Woodlawn, concentrating this year (at least) on reading in the early grades, kindergarten through third grade. Our plan is to start sending much better-prepared students into the middle-grades. We expect to need at least 300 tutors.     Tutors will be college students, high school students, parents, members of faith communities, and military personnel. Most of our schools prefer that tutors come twice a week in the afternoon, but we can use tutors at all times of day; and if you are only available once a week, we will work with your schedule.  

We are rebuilding the broken places in Woodlawn and we need your help.
Tutoring applications can be found on-line at www.acog-chicago.org. They are also available at Apostolic Church, 6320 South Dorchester Avenue, Sunshine Gospel Ministry, 500 East 61st Street, and the Neighborhood Schools Program Office, 5525 South Ellis Avenue.

Sincerely,

Bishop Arthur M. Brazier
Pastor Emeritus
Apostolic Church of God
Chair,  Woodlawn Children’s Promise Zone

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