Miami Proud: 'Pages For All Ages' Takes A Fun Approach To Improving Youth Literacy
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Kids participating in an after-school program called Pages For All Ages are paired with college students over an eight week period to write and put together a book of their very own.
They meet for at least an hour, once a week and work one-on-one with their Miami Dade College student partners, like Chersettah Hills and Alejandra Curbelo. As teenagers themselves, the two never thought they'd make such an impact and be the ones to look up to.
"There is pressure because you have to exemplify the best part of yourself so they can also see this is something they can accomplish as well," said Curbelo.
The feeling Curbelo described is exactly why Miami Dade College professor Yanely Cordero founded Pages For All Ages in 2012.
At the time, Cordero was teaching developmental college students who were behind in reading and writing.
"Literacy is extremely important as the foundation for any profession that college students may pursue," she stated.
Her personal story as a Cuban immigrant who didn't fully learn English until she was a teenager, led to her passion.
"I struggled a lot. I got bullied. I had the thickest accent in the world. I would pee my pants because I couldn't ask to go to the bathroom in English," recalled Cordero, "I was always that kid."
The program started out with just 12 college students and young kids at a homeless shelter. Cordero felt the benefit was two-fold.
"My college students who could read at a seventh-grade level and who were told 'you are not going to make it in college' are now role models with kids looking up to them," said Cordero.
To date, the program has had more than 400 volunteers and what they all look forward to most is the grand ceremony at the end, when the kids get to present their finished books and call themselves authors.
Pages For All Ages was recognized by the White House during the Obama administration as a Bright Spot in Hispanic Education. Cordero says its all about believing.
"It shows how resilient the children are when others don't believe in them, when life has been tough. All it takes is one person to believe and one person to give them a reason," said Cordero.
You can learn more about Pages For All Ages at on their Facebook page
