This is a guest post by Lester Strong, Vice President, AARP Foundation Experience Corps

In the 1960s, America watched as its young people “got involved,” doing all they could to change the world. Now that generation has the potential to launch a revolution again, this time as volunteers.

Some 10 million people aged 50 and older volunteer, but only about 2 million do so in education, even though boomers say that education is a high priority when it comes to investing their time.

Older adults are incredibly effective when they share their experience in the classroom. In a survey of teachers supported by volunteers from AARP Foundation Experience Corps, respondents suggested that in addition to providing a successful reading intervention, volunteer tutors helped students in many other ways—with improved classroom behavior, better attendance and more participation in class. Teachers and principals alike say that the wisdom and experience older adults bring to the classroom make a big difference in overall student performance.

We all know that education is critical to warding off poverty and achieving the American Dream. That’s why volunteer tutoring is such a worthwhile venture. And the good news is that the work benefits not only the children but also the volunteers. Experience Corps was recently integrated into AARP Foundation, whose mission is to fight poverty among older adults by helping them win back the opportunity to be contributing members of their communities. It makes perfect sense that Experience Corps has become part of that effort, because it provides both older adults and children the chance to enrich their lives.

By tapping older adults from the high-need communities the program serves, Experience Corps both addresses the desire of older adults to gain purpose and gives those communities a better chance to lift themselves out of poverty through improved education.

As the program grows and expands from its 22-city network, Experience Corps will need to call on the talents of a larger pool of potential volunteers, from communities throughout the country. Will boomers heed the call to serve? Will they change the world again? Our children are counting on it.

Countless AARP Experience Corps volunteers are making a difference across the country, and many are recognized on our dedicated National Volunteer Week webpage for outstanding reading tutors.