This past summer, Lovett Junior Caroline Carr Grant spent her days formulating a unique reading curriculum for kids of AGAPE, a nonprofit that provides support to underserved families.
Caroline Carr first worked with AGAPE through her school, which transports students to tutor there weekly. After her initial visit, she says she fell in love with the students she tutored. Her emersion in AGAPE expanded through her involvement in the National Charity League (“NCL”), a service-oriented organization of mothers and daughters who volunteer for a variety of philanthropies throughout the Atlanta community. Through her membership in NCL, Caroline Carr won an internship with AGAPE, where she prepared the reading curriculum.
While preparing to teach the curriculum, Caroline Carr researched Atlanta Public School reading requirements as well as Common Core. She then organized donation drives for books, recruited volunteers, and scheduled other activities to supplement the reading throughout the sessions.
While leading sessions, Caroline Carr trained the volunteers and facilitated the lessons in which advanced students read aloud to others and novice students learn the alphabet, phonetics and the basic fundamentals of reading.
Caroline Carr says she is impressed and inspired by the perseverance of the students. “As a high schooler, I rarely see the same type of work ethic and drive that these young children possess, and I learned a lot from their sense of perseverance,” she said. “They never gave up; they never gave into the desire to quit when facing adversity.”
Her intern leader, Nell Benn, says she is impressed with the program’s outcome, and was overjoyed to see students being taught things beyond the reading fundamentals. “Caroline Carr taught the children to be their own cheerleaders and that they could do whatever they set their minds to,” Benn said.
Throughout her high school career, Caroline Carr has accumulated more than 100 service hours with AGAPE. She continues tutoring there, and volunteers with YoungLife, the GivingPoint Institute and Girl Scouts. She recently appeared at the Princeton Theological Seminary as a guest speaker, and fills leadership roles in the Lovett Service Club and the Atlanta Mission Junior Board, in addition to being a member of the Lovett tennis team.
What’s Next:
Caroline Carr is still exploring where she wants to attend college, and plans to pursue a major in early childhood education, business or art history.
– This article was reported by Amanda Gibson, a student at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School.