MOSES LAKE - It's back to school in a way for volunteers of the Youth Senior Connection program.

The senior citizens who volunteer with the program spend four days a week each school year helping Lakeview Elementary School students improve their skills in math, reading, science and other subjects.

Founder Wanda Harrison said the program has had a huge impact academically on students throughout the years. She started the program about nine years ago as a way to provide students with extra learning time, she said.

"Teachers love the program," Harrison said. "They tell me all the time that their kids are doing much better in class and passing more of their tests."

However, students aren't the only ones learning each day, she said.

"A lot of volunteers find they get more out of it than the kids," Harrison commented. "They just enjoy doing this."

Students walk over from the school to the United Methodist Church on Monday through Thursday. They start with a small snack before moving on to their homework and reading and then ending with a fun activity, said Harrison.

While a lot of learning takes place during that time, a lot of interaction occurs between the students and tutors as well, she said.

Students and tutors get to talk about their day and share their experiences. They eventually form a meaningful bond with each other, said Harrison.

"The goal of the program was to help students get their homework done and get extra skills practice," she said. "But it was also important to make sure they got a positive relationship out of it as well."

Harrison said it was also important to provide that positive relationship for the program's volunteers.

"A lot of seniors retire and don't know what to do with their time," she said. "This is a good place for them to be."

Harrison is a retiree herself, and knows the benefit of having something meaningful to do. She said she chose to start an after-school homework program because it would end up being a win-win situation for all involved.

The students would receive much-needed help and the volunteers would have something to occupy their time with, said Harrison.

As a former teacher, Harrison said she knew there was a need for a program like the Youth Senior Connection. Some students just need a little extra practice with math and reading, she said, and the program gives that to them.

One student in the program for example, was having trouble with her reading comprehension skills, said Harrison.

She would recite the words but not grasp what she had just read. So tutors worked with her daily and spent a lot of time reading and talking about whichever passage they read that day, she said.

Over time, the student was able to read a passage and discuss it on her own. Harrison said it was a big moment for the student as well as the tutor.

"We love to see the kids getting better at things," she said. "It's very rewarding."

Harrison said other churches have since adopted similar programs for students at Garden Heights and Midway elementary schools in Moses Lake.

Lois Ostranda, another program volunteer, said YSC is always looking for senior volunteers. The group has a few dozen volunteers right now, but the more the merrier, she said.

"Volunteers come when they can, some come once a day each week and some come for a few days in a row here and there," she said.

With more volunteers, students will be able to get more personalized help, said Ostranda.

Seniors interested in volunteering their time can contact Harrison at 509-765-8373.