Weinberg senior Chloe Chow, treasurer of Northwestern’s Books & Breakfast student chapter, cherishes drawings that local school children made of her. One includes a portrait of Chow wearing the NU hoodie she always throws on at 7 a.m. before she reads, plays and eats with students at Kingsley Elementary School.
“It’s the kids — they’re all great to be around,” Chow said. “I’m not really a morning person, but it’s a good start to your day.”
Alongside local community members, NU Leadership Development and Community Engagement partners with B&B, a program that offers breakfast and homework help to elementary and middle school students across eight Evanston schools to prepare them for the school day.
An Evanston native, Chow said her parents were also B&B tutors. Chow said she’s always heard how great the program was and added that she values the relationships she’s built with the kids since she started tutoring as a freshman.
“I definitely remember one of the girls who was a second grader that now is a fifth grader, and her being so tiny,” Chow said. “Now she’s about to go to middle school. It’s crazy.”
McCormick junior and B&B tutor Isabel Pitcher has been a tutor since her sophomore year and said the program “immediately stood out” because of its involvement in the community and the ability to be a resource for local kids.
Weinberg freshman and B&B volunteer Morgan Sanders said she finds joy in seeing kids excited about seeing her. She said she values equitable opportunities for all students and thinks it’s important for programs like B&B to help marginalized students feel prepared and comfortable in a classroom.
“There are schools in mostly the wealthy neighborhoods in Evanston and then the students who are low income, generally students of color, are bussed, so there’s actual segregation still in the schools — there are visible differences between how the two get to and from school,” Sanders said.
Weinberg junior and B&B tutor Zoey Hall said B&B not only helps students complete their homework but also supports students emotionally and socially.
The program allows Hall to interact with the community outside of the NU bubble, she said.
“It’s been really helpful for me to kind of step out … and realize that maybe my orgo midterm isn’t the most world-stopping thing happening right now,” Hall said.
She said she recognizes it may be more difficult for students who have other responsibilities or long commutes to school to prioritize and complete their homework.
“(We’re) making sure that we’re starting each day with a good attitude, so students can put their best foot forward while they are in school and still focus on being children without having to carry all the baggage that they might be bringing in with them,” Hall said.
Tutors said they see the impact of B&B on the students after volunteering consistently every week.
Some tutors have worked at the same school for years. Pitcher said this helps “get to know” the students and “see them grow up.”
“They know that I will be there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday no matter what happens in their life,” Hall said. “If we started a coloring project on Wednesday, I’ll be there on Friday to help him finish it.”
Pitcher said seeing and feeling the impact of B&B comes in little ways.
She added that “it’s really special” to see the kids’ moods brighten when they see their favorite tutor or play games.
“Just recently, one of the kids was just so happy to be there and to be at school,” Pitcher said. “I asked her, ‘Are you excited for summer and summer break?’ And she’s like, ‘I love school. I love being here and being at B&B.’”
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