Before many Syracuse children have to face the consequences of their low socioeconomic status – a reality commonly associated with high dropout rates and drug abuse – their futures may be guided by the efforts of a Syracuse University student.Over the last decade, student groups such as the Literacy Corps, the Hughs After-School Program, and the Breakfast Club have made advanced strides in reaching out to disadvantaged children in the Syracuse community. ‘I have seen a change in the (university) students,’ said Liz Occhino, who has been the assistant director at the Center for Public and Community Service for the last four years. ‘They have gone from just wanting to get involved to interest on a community and international level.’Ronald Danforth, the assistant for education and information services at the Office of Information and Reporting Services, said 77.5 percent of students attending elementary schools in Syracuse received free or reduced-price lunch applications in 2004. The next highest percentage in Onondaga County belonged to Lafayette – 39.2 percent. According to Pamela Heintz, the director of CPCS, these statistics support the finding that Syracuse has the second highest poverty rate in New York state.’It’s a reality check for the students,’ said Steven Wright, a counselor for the Honors Program. ‘Academia is a contrived, ivory tower and it’s a wonderful place, but the real world is full of struggles – people dying, people who can’t read, and kids who need mentors.’In seven years, the Literacy Corps, a product of the America Reads program, has grown from 15 to over 200 tutors and expanded from one worksite to 35. ‘This is one of the best student work programs on campus,’ said Roberta Gillen, the assistant director for Literacy Initiatives. ‘It exposes SU students to the community and surrounding area, and they get to work with kids.’ The growing interest in programs like the Literacy Corps, as well as what Heintz calls an ‘incremental increase’ in the number of service learning courses, may become even more significant due to an initiative developed by Chancellor Nancy Cantor.’Her plan is to encourage university engagement and community based research and more involvement in advocating social justice issues,’ said Heintz.Even before Cantor’s initiative, CPCS sought to enhance the immersion of students in the community by adding a 35-hour service requirement to the School of Management in 2000. This semester, a 50-hour service requirement was created for students in the Honors Program as well.The most popular outlet for fulfilling the requirement is tutoring elementary school students.’I thought it would be a really good experience for me,’ said Emily Virkler, an education graduate student who began tutoring through the Literacy Corps in 2001. ‘I wanted a job that would be enjoyable but also offer a good off-campus experience.’Another student who has invested her efforts in tutoring for several years, senior international relations major Amanda Moore, said her interest in the Breakfast Club originated from her Syracuse roots.’I’ve always done community service and I’ve always been involved in the community,’ Moore said. ‘I’m also from Syracuse, so it gives me another way to connect with the city that I didn’t see before.’While both the Literacy Corps and the Breakfast Club involve student-to-student interaction, the Literacy Corps focuses on the facilitation of academic subjects, while the Breakfast Club usually consists of mentor sessions. As the students begin to establish an open relationship with the children, they are often surprised by how attached the younger students can become.’One time I was in the Carousel Mall at the food court, and I heard someone shouting my name,’ Moore said. ‘It was one of my students, and I was so surprised. He introduced me to his family as ‘his friend from school,’ and to this day, even though he is in high school, we still keep in touch.’Despite the reward of feeling appreciated by younger students, mentors often become frustrated by the limitations imposed on schools lacking monetary resources. For example, cuts in the budget at Levy Middle School have eliminated early bus routes, causing many students to miss the Breakfast Club. Other frustrations lie in the younger students themselves.’A lot of the time it’s hard for them to separate their home from school because who- knows-what their home life is like,’ said Liz Alexander, a sophomore advertising design major and Literacy Corps volunteer.The majority of tutors and mentors, though, fail to see any large differences between children who belong to the inner-city school systems and those who do not. ‘The students are no different except they understand people do not expect them to do well so they want to do well,’ Moore said. ‘We help them realize that there’s nothing they can’t do.’One of the most common findings that mentors experience is teaching is a two-way street. Many of them come to realize children are not the only people who benefit from the products volunteerism.’It’s empowering to know you can shape a human being,’ Moore said. ‘The students have made me feel more confident and more loved. They’ve allowed me to radiate in my own way.’As someone who hires Literacy Corps tutors and often witnesses their growth, Gillen has also seen the positive effects that tutoring can have on the students she has trained.’They learn compassion, patience and that they’re not the center of the universe,’ said Gillen. ‘They see themselves as being part of a bigger picture, and we hope that lasts for the rest of their lives.’