Member Feature - Rachel Banen

Meet your fellow AmeriCorps members and the programs they serve within our monthly member spotlight!

This month’s member spotlight is on Rachel Banen serving with Reading Partners.

What program do you serve with?
I serve with Reading Partners Twin Cities at Anishinabe Academy, which is a Native American Magnet school located in South Minneapolis.

What do you do in your position?
I am the Site Coordinator at Anishinabe Academy, which has a host of responsibilities! I primarily train volunteer tutors in our reading curriculum to support students that are anywhere between 6 months to 1.5 years behind their target reading level. I also tutor students myself, while building relationships with school staff, administration, and the Reading Partners team.

What interested you in serving with AmeriCorps and with your specific program?
I chose to serve with AmeriCorps because I primarily wanted to help close the opportunity gap. Even though the opportunity gap is multi-faceted, I felt that promoting literacy with under-resourced students was an essential piece to closing that gap. I also wanted to be in a position where I could work with kids while building other professional skills, including schedule coordinating, coaching volunteers and relationship building.

What do you like to do in your free time?
I enjoy reading, biking in the Twin Cities (when it's reasonably warm!) and cooking with my friends.