Reading Volunteers Needed - Statewide in Oregon

We're looking for volunteer readers to read with kids at various sites around the state! This volunteer position is vital to SMART Reading, providing critical literacy support to kids and helping foster a love of reading and learning.

Most SMART Reading programs operate during the school day from October to May, and the reading days and times vary depending on the individual site. This volunteer role may include participating in One-to-One SMART or Classroom SMART (in-person, with potentially some minimal opportunities for virtual) depending on availability and the needs of your local area or site. Our programs are on hiatus during the summer (programs typically run from mid-October through mid-May) so we stop placing volunteers for this year as of 3/31/24. However, we would love for you to complete an application and begin volunteering in the fall of 2025.

In our original shared reading model, One-to-One SMART, a trained volunteer is paired with a student for weekly, in-person child-guided reading sessions that last between 15 and 30 minutes. Every week for seven months, volunteers model the joy of reading and/or support the child’s efforts to read independently. Students also choose two books per month to keep and read with their families.

Classroom SMART is a new shared reading model developed during the COVID-19 pandemic that pairs a volunteer with a classroom of students for regular interactive group read-alouds, either virtually or in person. These reading sessions with a "special guest" volunteer are designed to build excitement and enthusiasm for reading. Students in participating classrooms also choose two books per month to keep and read with their families.

Volunteering with SMART Reading

Reader: 1-2 Hours/Week

The volunteer Reader position is integral to the success of SMART Reading. Readers typically commit to one to two hours per week either reading with a student one-on-one or leading a classroom read-aloud. The goal of the reading session is for students to have a fun, engaging experience with books and reading.

If you would like more information about our program, please visit our website at https://smartreading.org/

If you would like to sign up to be a Volunteer Reader with us, please complete our application at the following link: https://smartreading.org/volunteer/

For more information about our local offices, including information about what sites are in your area, please visit https://smartreading.org/about-smart/local-offices/

The address listed on this site is for our SMART office in Portland. Please know that we do not accept walk-ins regarding volunteer opportunities at the office. Please do not come to our office unless you have a meeting scheduled with us. Thank you for your understanding.

Book Bank - One-Time Volunteer Opportunities:

While programs are on hiatus during the summer, you can volunteer with The Children's Book Bank to help clean & refurbish community-donated books. If you are interested, we offer one-time service events through Hands On Portland. You are welcome to come in once or as often as you would like to sign up. We also have long-term volunteers (Book Stewards) trained in special areas who commit to a two-hour shift once a week.

If you have a community group (fellow nonprofit, service organization, or group of friends) of 6-20 people, please fill out the brief form at the link below and a staff member will follow up to schedule your group cleaning session.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUfALhqOigtBhFZ6Q3nF_Ebooq0PM_i51eXAxRY01pdu7O4g/viewform

If you are interested in organizing a book drive, please email bookbank@smartreading.org. Or if you are interested in volunteering in other ways, such as donating supplies, sewing tote bags, or delivering books, please check out our website at the link below.

https://smartreading.org/bookbank/volunteer/

Lastly, if you are interested in donating to SMART Reading, please go to the link below for more information.

https://smartreading.org/get-involved/donate/simple-ways-support-smart/

Thank you!