Overview

Vecinos Unidos is a volunteer-driven after-school academic assistance program that has served elementary students from non-English speaking homes since 1997. Operating out of the Herndon Neighborhood Resource Center, the program pairs students in grades 1 through 6 with trained volunteers for 90-minute sessions three days per week during the school year. The program targets academic achievement gaps in math, reading, and writing through individualized activities, regular skill assessments, and a safe, nurturing environment designed to build both competence and confidence.

Additional Information

Sessions run Tuesday through Thursday from 4:30 PM to 6:00 PM, following the Fairfax County Schools calendar. Each session begins with student-volunteer pairing and a healthy snack, moves into structured homework help and skill-building across math, reading, and writing, and concludes with progress documentation and community dialogue. Math focus areas include counting, basic operations, and grade-level advancement. Reading activities include phonics worksheets, library reading aloud, and vocabulary comprehension. Writing sessions cover grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and writing prompts. Students are regularly assessed via quarterly report card analysis, and many have advanced into honors programs or received school-wide recognition for reading growth. Alumni of the program have returned as volunteers, serving as mentors to current students.