Reading Partners

ABOUT US

Reading Partners launched in 2001 with the mission to expand opportunities for children in underserved communities by fostering a lifelong love of reading, developing strong literacy skills, and building the confidence and self-esteem critical to empowerment and community development. Reading Partners provides children with robust one-on-one reading support through a structured, research-based curriculum that engages students and provides basic building blocks to supplement their academic growth. On average, Reading Partners students gain 1.6 months of reading skills for every month in the program.

Working in partnership with teachers, schools, and community volunteers, Reading Partners has grown from serving 100 students in 2003 in northern California with a budget of $180,000 to serving over 2,900 students in California, Washington, D.C., New York, Texas, and Maryland with a budget of almost $8M. A recipient of significant Social Innovation Fund funding through the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, Reading Partners has plans for continued rapid growth into other regions. For more information about Reading Partners, please visit www.readingpartners.org.

WHAT WE DO AND HOW WE DO IT

Reading Partners is dedicated to transforming struggling young readers into confident readers who are excited about learning.

How we do it:

• Focus on children from low-income communities.
• Give one-on-one instruction at the student's reading level.
• Recruit and train community volunteers to work with children.
• Partner with high-need elementary schools to offer an effective program on campus.
• Provide a way for volunteers to give a small amount of their time to make a huge difference in a child's life.