Millersville University & Penn Manor School District Buddy Program…how it all began….

Millersville University & Penn Manor School District Buddy Program…how it all began…
By: Allison Yarrow

A Millersville University Staff member with elementary school-aged children reached out to Allison Yarrow of Campus Recreation and mentioned that schools are now teaching students a math curriculum that no longer involves carrying over the 1 when subtracting.  After the shock wore off from feeling “old” for having outgrown the K-12 teaching curriculum, Allison jumped in with an idea she thought might make a difference for K-12 families navigating distance learning. Along with PJ Steiner (Graduate Assistant, Campus Recreation) and a few of the Intramural Student Staff/Club Sport Athletes, a plan was developed to frame what would eventually become our Buddy Program.

Next, we teamed up with Lori Leaman from Civic & Community Engagement and Dr. Nazli Hardy from the Computer Science department and the MU/PMSD Buddy Program quickly snowballed into what it is today… over 50 PMSD families & over 30 MU Students connecting and learning online! The buddies are matched up and meet over Zoom to discuss academic assignments, assist with various concepts, engage about hobbies & sports, etc.

The trio of Allison, Lori, and Nazli now call themselves “new besties” because of the collaborative efforts and success of the Buddy Program and the connection this has created between three offices across two divisions. The program was featured in the Merchandiser on May 20 as well as in the recent President’s Update on May 22.

This program demonstrates three of our EPPIIC Values, Exploration, Public Mission and Compassion, and we are proud of the hard work and effort our community has come together to build with the Buddies Program. Our hope is that this partnership will help strengthen the existing bonds between Millersville and Penn Manor while also helping local students and their families know they can find new support systems even in this difficult time. Allison stated, “this program has really taken off and I couldn’t be happier!  This started as a way to help connect families with MU students who want to find a way to help out in these challenging times but has done even more! It’s become a rewarding experience for everyone involved and makes a true impact for families in our backyard. We hope to expand the program to other area school districts that have since heard about our Buddies Program.”