New program at East Carolina promotes student-to-student outreach

A new program at East Carolina University has given way for the current group of college students to give back to the future generation of children in the Greenville community. The P.A.L.S (Peers Advocating for Learning and Success) program aims to embrace the traits of bonding and friendship by having volunteers from ECU go into schools in the Greenville area. The volunteers are hoping to bond with children in both the classroom and playground.

Sophomore music education major Sylveonna Holmes, a service and leadership assistant for Pirate P.A.L.S, resonates personally with this new program. With hopes of dedicating her life’s work to the benefit of educating the upcoming generation, she said she wants to inspire other students at ECU to take on the initiative of helping a child’s growth by participating in the program. “This program is something that I hold very dear to my heart. It’s more than just playing with kids. Pirate P.A.L.S is all about building relationships with them,” said Holmes. “I really look into each and every application because this is an opportunity that would not only be important to these children, but to me as well.”

This volunteer opportunity provides students with self-development skills by connecting then with the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement. Volunteers are expected to attend monthly meetings, workshops and other opportunities to connect with peers and community partners to address the issue of education and support youth in Greenville. In addition to having volunteers serve as tutors, mentors and reading buddies, Pirate P.A.L.S have also offered the option of participating in Pirate Playtime. This opportunity is for students that may want to be involved with the program but are unable to make the semester-long time commitment. Pirate Playtime is a student-led organization that goes to various after-school locations on the first and third Friday of every month to play games and provide a safe place to play for youth in the school locations.

Holmes added, “It’s crucial to have the current generation involved in the lives of the upcoming generation. Children are inspired when someone shows care, whether it would be academic help or being active with them at recess or after school playtime.”

Students can apply for tutoring, mentoring and reading buddy positions within Pirate P.A.L.S on the program’s OrgSync page or by contacting Holmes via email. No application is required for the Pirate Playtime program, and more information about Pirate Playtime can also be found on Pirate P.A.L.S’ OrgSync page.

“The kids we volunteer with tend to live in low income communities. Some of them may not have the good role models or people to look up to for guidance,” said Holmes. “When they grow up successful, they can look back in time and say, ‘With the help of those ECU students, I had someone to look up to. I wasn’t alone because someone cared enough about me.’”