Retirees Helping Students With Language Barriers
As schools around the state struggle with budget cuts, hundreds of students at one of our local schools are struggling with English.
More than 90 percent of the students in Mecca speak English as a second language. This can make learning and passing tests difficult, but some local retirees are breaking down the language barriers, making learning easier.
“We are retired and when you have a lot of time, the best thing you can do with it is give it back,” says volunteer Harry Koustik.
For the past five years, Monday through Friday, about 30 volunteers ride a bus from Palm Desert to Mecca Elementary School. They spend the morning encouraging and helping students with reading. This is part of the Read With Me program.
