![\"Brenna](\"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/news\/files\/2014\/07\/140722_Brenna_Callahan_0102.jpg\")
<\/a>Brenna Callahan works with a rising fifth grader at Montello School. (Phyllis Graber Jensen\/Bates College)<\/p><\/div>\n
Name:<\/strong> Brenna Callahan<\/p>\n Hometown:<\/strong> Milton, Mass.<\/p>\n Major:<\/strong> Interdisciplinary studies, with a focus on education<\/p>\n Internship sponsor:<\/strong> Harward Center Summer Community Work-Study Fellowship.<\/p>\n 1. What is\u00a0Project Story Boost?<\/strong><\/p>\n Basically, it’s an early literacy intervention program. We work one-on-one with kindergarteners, first- and second-graders in a comfortable environment. We want to replicate a nighttime reading session with parents, a setting\u00a0where the kids can feel relaxed and develop a love of literacy with a Bates student\u00a0\u2014 develop that relationship and read some great books. I started working at Montello in 2013.<\/p>\n 2. School’s out, what do you do for the project during the summer?<\/strong><\/p>\n During the school year, as a Student Volunteer Fellow I recruited and trained Bates student volunteers, and worked one-on-one with Montello students. This summer I’ve been working with a summer class unrelated to Project Story Boost, but also looking at Project Story Boost’s evaluation program, redesigning and refining it to make sure we’re getting the information we want.<\/p>\n 3. Tell me about that information.<\/strong><\/p>\n We’re entering the data we collected over the entire school year after every single student session. After a Bates student reads with a Montello student, the volunteer fills out a form that tracks the Montello student’s behavior, which book they were reading, how responsive they were and what kinds of questions they asked.<\/p>\n This summer we’re inputting all the data to see if there any trends based on the level of book the pupil read. Then we’re going to take a step back and look at the evaluation forms to see if there are different questions we want to ask to solicit new information.<\/p>\n 4. What specific details did you focus on?<\/strong><\/p>\n We’re trying to see if there are changes over time\u00a0\u2014 if a child’s behavior is\u00a0different at the beginning of a semester than at the end, if they’re understanding more of the story at the end of the semester than at the beginning. We’re looking for concrete changes that show that the program’s making a difference.<\/p>\n 5. What do you like about this work?<\/strong><\/p>\n I love working in the schools, it’s my favorite environment to work with kids. I’m a very structured person, and schools give me that structure. I’ve never worked with such young kids before, that was something new for me \u2014 I love it. I love getting to see Montello students experience the same books that I loved reading as a child.<\/p>\n 6. Do they have The Very Hungry Caterpillar<\/em><\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n