As freshmen, education majors are expected to fulfill a certain amount of tutoring and observation hours. While the observation mostly takes place in area classrooms, the tutoring often is done through programs such as ArtReach! or Read to Succeed. Volunteering for these organizations is only a requirement in the beginning of an education student's academic career, but many find the habit to be a hard one to kick.

ArtReach! is an after school program created by a partnership between Southeast Missouri State University and the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri.

The program connects volunteers with underprivileged students who want to learn about art. Bailey Kralemann, a sophomore at Southeast, said the program allows students to communicate in ways they haven't been able to before.

"You teach them how to express themselves through art and how to use art to convey specific messages," Kralemann said.

Kralemann participated in ArtReach! last year, but is now volunteering in Read to Succeed, a literacy program through the United Way of Southeast Missouri. That program pairs volunteers with kindergarten or first-grade students with the goal of increasing the students' reading ability. Megan Widenor, another sophomore at Southeast, said the role of volunteer mainly is to reinforce and encourage students in reading.

"For just 30 minutes, you help children with their reading," Widenor said. "You kind of build up their confidence. You're kind of just like a supporter for them."

Kralemann said in addition to basic reading skills, volunteers do their best to increase the students' comprehension of the material by asking questions in the course of completing a book. She said while it's important that students are able to read the actual words, it's also important that they're able to understand what they're reading.

As members of Kappa Delta Pi, an educational honor society, Kralemann and Widenor both took part in Literacy Alive!, an event held on Southeast's campus earlier in March. The event connected elementary students with professionals in various disciplines, with the hope of sparking an interest.

At the event, the students interacted with professionals in the military, conservation workers, police officers, bankers and librarians. From the library portion of the event, students received books of their own to take home.

Helen Nichols, a sophomore who has participated in ArtReach! and Read to Succeed, also volunteers in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, which pairs older individuals with younger ones in a mentorship role. Nichols said her volunteering experience has given her insight into how to approach her future students.

"I've realized that I need to not just look at the child, but I need to look at what they've come from, to try and help them succeed in the best way possible," Nichols said.

Widenor and Kralemann also said their experiences volunteering have helped shape the way they view their roles as future educators.

"Especially with Read to Succeed, just like seeing the kids when they first read a word, and their face just lights up and they have this 'Aha' moment, and they get so excited," Widenor said. "And I just love seeing that. And it makes me excited about the future in being an educator and being able to see that every day. Just seeing that 'aha' moment on those kids' faces."

Apart from the volunteering education students take part in as part of the requirements of their programs, student organizations also provide opportunities for additional community involvement.

On April 30, the Student Missouri Teacher's Association (SMSTA) will hold a literacy walk, which will see elementary students coming to Southeast to take a trip across campus, reading large pages from a children's book as they go. At the end of the walk, each student will receive a book of their own to take home.