Winterport teen lauded for work in community Worster mentors low-achieving elementary pupils

WINTERPORT – U.S. Sen. Susan Collins recently met in Washington with one of Maine’s two 2008 Prudential Spirit of Community honorees, Chad Worster of Winterport, to congratulate him and discuss his volunteer work in Maine.

Worster, 14, an eighth-grader at Wagner Middle School, has devoted five weeks of each summer vacation over the past four years to volunteering at a summer reading program for low-achieving elementary school students. When a former teacher suggested that the program could benefit from his involvement, he recalled his own summer school experience years earlier and eagerly agreed to help.

Chad Worster has to be at school by 6 each morning to get ready for his volunteer job, a time when many of his friends are sleeping-in. After spending an hour and a half preparing for the day’s activities, he leads group lessons in spelling and journal-writing, reads to the kids and has them read aloud to him, organizes games such as kickball and tag in the gym, assists with art projects and serves snacks. He also encourages and mentors the young students.

“Up until my involvement, many students did not enjoy the summer reading school program,” said Worster. “I made it fun and gave the students something to look forward to every day.”

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards represent the nation’s largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service. The awards were created in 1995 by Prudential in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals to honor middle school and high school students at the local, state and national level for outstanding service to others.