Tutoring, Reading, Enabling Children

Tutoring , Reading, and Enabling Children, the TREC program began in 1997, the result of a grant written by Rod Otto and Carol McCannon at the University of Minnesota, Morris. Initial grant funding for TREC was awarded to the University of Minnesota Morris from Minnesota Campus Compact.  These funds supported TREC from 1997-2000, and continue to support TREC initiatives.

2000-2001 was the first year of shared funding. Financial support came from UMM through the Center for Small Towns and from the Morris Area School District.
TREC today continues to be a collaborative effort. Support for TREC comes from the University of Minnesota at Morris, Morris Area Schools, Morris Area Community Education, and the Stevens County Collaborative.

Three overall goals direct the initiatives of the TREC Program:

• Promote literacy in school age children and throughout local communities.
• Provide school children with meaningful tutoring and mentoring experiences.
• Provide University of Minnesota, Morris students with service learning opportunities.

Rod Otto served as the initial principal investigator of the TREC program. a position now held by UMM Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Sandy Olson-Loy, Pam Solvie was appointed the UMM TREC Coordinator in 2006. Steven Sterud serves as the TREC Site Coordinator at Morris Area Schools.

Through a grant written by Sandy Olson-Loy and Division of Education Chair, Judy Kuechle, TREC was expanded to Willmar, Minnesota in 2007. Grant funds were awarded through the President's Initiative on Children, Youth and Families (PICYF) at the University of Minnesota. Willmar TREC offers opportunities for students in grades 4 through 6 to work on literacy skills in a two-week summer school workshop.

University of Minnesota, Morris TREC Coordinator:

Pamela A. Solvie, Ph.D. Division of Education

589-6403

Morris Area School TREC Site Coordinator:

Steven Sterud, Morris Area Community Education

589-4394 ext. 2230

Willmar School District Contact:

Beckie Simenson, Principal-Lincoln Learning Center and Jefferson Elementary