Experience Corps Bay Area (ECBA) is nominating Bob Burt for the tutoring/mentoring support he provides to Oakland, CA first graders struggling in literacy. A recent retiree, Bob is committed to serving his community and is a leader in the ECBA program and other local volunteer projects.

Since joining ECBA in 2011, Bob has tutored five first graders one-on-one, for two to three times per week. Bob serves at Oakland’s Sankofa Elementary, a place he now affectionately refers to as “my school,” where he has become a member of the community who is trusted by students, staff, families, and administrators alike. One of his tutees, Jayla, was struggling but clearly wanted to read well. Bob knew they had connected when, upon learning a word she had struggled with, she went back and reread the entire sentence because she could then read it all the way through. This became Jayla’s practice throughout the rest of their time together.

Bob joined ECBA because his years in public higher education showed him first-hand the significant impact that higher education has on underserved individuals, their families, and our community. Through his own educational experiences, Bob learned about the critical role that support, both academic and motivational, plays throughout the K-12 years, and in particular, the K-3 years when kids learn to read. As an older adult who has lived a full life of many rich and diverse experiences, Bob is able to share his unique perspective with his students. The mentorship and literacy support that Bob provides to his students guides them to become strong readers who are confident, as well as motivated for further academic successes. Bob’s ultimate goal is for his students to grow into adults who make positive contributions to their communities.

At ECBA, Bob is considered a leader by both staff and fellow volunteers. He regularly engages tutor colleagues to discuss successes, challenges, and share best practices. Bob volunteers to help recruit new tutors at events and provides content for ECBA communications materials, and staff often turn to him for programmatic ideas and feedback. In addition, Bob’s volunteer work does not stop with ECBA. He was appointed by Orinda’s City Council to serve on the city’s Finance Advisory Committee, and he also serves as a volunteer driver in the city’s Senior Drivers Program, which provides free rides to medical appointments for seniors who no longer drive. Bob’s commitment to supporting his community and inspiring other older adults to join him in the work truly demonstrates the power of aging.