Cape Girardeau OASIS volunteers tutor local students, help them grow

When Fred Schmidt's wife passed on, he didn't want to leave his house. After a prolonged period as her caregiver, he says he'd given up activities he once enjoyed, and was used to staying at home all the time.

Then a social worker at Lutheran Family Services, where he had taken his wife, recommended he get involved in the OASIS program. Lutheran Family Services of St. Louis sponsors the program, which provides one-on-one tutoring services to children in Lutheran schools who are struggling with reading.

In Cape Girardeau, OASIS works with students at Trinity Lutheran School. The program also services students at Emmanuel Lutheran School in Perryville, Missouri, St. Paul Lutheran School in Jackson and United Lutheran School in Frohna, Missouri.

Shirley Beggs, 79, is the local coordinator of OASIS, and she says currently there are seven volunteers working with the group. Becoming an OASIS volunteer requires a background check and two days of training about how to help students improve reading skills.

The tutoring is not confined to just reading, Beggs says. "Sometimes we cover other subjects," she says. "I worked with a boy who had problems making change," she says.

Shirley Beggs and Fred Schidt read with students at Trinity Lutheran school Monday, April 24, 2017 in Cape Girardeau. Schidt and Beggs are volunteers with Oasis and reads with a student every week at the school.Andrew J. Whitaker

And though the emphasis is on reading, not math, it's just one of the things that a volunteer may help with during the 30- to 45-minute weekly sessions.

Students in the program are in kindergarten through fourth grade.

Some children just need special one-on-one time, Beggs says.

"These children sometimes don't have anybody at home to help them," says Ruth Kasten, another OASIS volunteer. "Knowing that somebody cares about them and their educational goals means something to me, and I think it means something to them, too."

Kasten, like Beggs, worked as a teacher before she retired, and sometimes uses techniques she learned while teaching to help the students she works with now.

Fred Schidt, right, helps out a student read at Trinity Lutheran school Monday, April 24, 2017 in Cape Girardeau. Schidt is a volunteer with Oasis and reads with a student every week at the school.Andrew J. Whitaker

However, a background in education is not required to work as an OASIS volunteer.

Schmidt, who signed up for the program last year, started working with a boy this academic year, and Schmidt has no background in education.

"I'm really not a tutor," he says. "I simply read to him, and he reads to me. It gives him a break from the classroom. Kids really don't need more school."

The boy Schmidt works with was very withdrawn. In fact, the child's teacher told Schmidt the boy had never talked to her.

For the first three months of school, the child didn't say a word to him either.

Fred Schmidt helps out a student read at Trinity Lutheran school Monday, April 24, 2017 in Cape Girardeau. Schmidt is a volunteer with Oasis and reads with a student every week at the school.Andrew J. Whitaker

Around Christmastime, during their sessions together, instead of reading, the boy began working on a color-by-number picture. It took him two sessions to complete it.

Schmidt praised the boy after he'd completed the project and encouraged him to show it to his teacher, and to give it to his mother.

As the boy reached the door, he turned and said, "So, when am I supposed to give this to mom?"

Schmidt responded, "Any time before Christmas." That brief exchange opened the door to communication.

During their last session, Schmidt says the boy was telling him what he had done over the weekend.

Shirley Beggs and Fred Schmidt read with students at Trinity Lutheran school Monday, April 24, 2017 in Cape Girardeau. Schmidt and Beggs are volunteers with Oasis and reads with a student every week at the school.Andrew J. Whitaker

Now that he works with OASIS, Schmidt gets out of the house more.

"The idea was as much for me as it was for the student," Schmidt says.

Beggs has no doubt the program is good for both the students and the volunteers.

"Sometimes we get as much as the children do," Beggs says.

People who are interested in working next year with OASIS can contact Beggs at (573) 651-1740, or can contact the principal at Trinity Lutheran School, Melissa Adams, at (573) 334-1740.

Fred Schmidt, right, helps out a student read at Trinity Lutheran school Monday, April 24, 2017 in Cape Girardeau. Schmidt is a volunteer with Oasis and reads with a student every week at the school.Andrew J. Whitaker