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THE HISTORY, MISSION, AND FUTURE OF “Make a Difference Coaching Literacy,” a non-profit corporation, was founded in 2006 by Gene Fazio who began teaching in the Maricopa Community College District in 1970. When he began teaching, he wondered how college football players who struggled in the classroom could master thick, complicated playbooks. In 1988, he had the opportunity to work with Mesa Community College’s quarterback, Michael Johnson, who needed to graduate in the summer or would lose a Division One scholarship to play for Gerry Faust at Akron University. Fazio felt that he would learn new teaching techniques by working intensively with Michael Johnson. His success with Michael Johnson led him to continue researching techniques for individualizing and personalizing instruction by working with other motivated football players who needed to qualify or regain eligibility. See the following news articles about Fazio’s individual tutoring projects:
After doing more than 1,000 hours of tutoring over the span of twenty years, Gene Fazio created the “Coaching Literacy” program. With this program, college students with minimal training can successfully tutor students in reading and writing. Also, through the experience of being tutored in this program, even under-prepared students have been able to tutor other students. As a result, under-prepared students now have the opportunity to learn at a higher level by tutoring others and to experience the power and fulfillment of making a difference with another human being. Last summer in 2007, “Make a Difference Coaching Literacy” ran The Wright to Dream Literacy Camp at Cesar Chavez High School. In this program, college students were the reading and writing tutors for 300 entering freshmen. On a survey, 95% of these freshmen said that the tutors were effective and knowledgeable. At the literacy camp this summer, high school students will join college students as tutors. Then, these high school students will also tutor during the school year at CCHS. See the following articles about Fazio’s community literacy programs:
At the 2005 “Teacher of the Year Awards” in San Diego, a keynote speaker said that there are more Hispanic males in prison than in college. This cannot be tolerated. When underserved and under-prepared students have successful experiences as tutors, they will see themselves in a new way. As a result, their lives and the community around them will transform. Last year, “Make a Difference Coaching Literacy” provided tutoring for 400 Cesar Chavez High School students and 75 YMCA i-Learn students for less than $15,000. The goal is to have this program in all Maricopa County high schools by 2020.
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