Read to Succeed to hold volunteer orientation Feb. 8

Read to Succeed literary coaches work with at-risk children in Asheville City Schools. (Photo courtesy of Read to Succeed)

Read to Succeed Asheville is seeking volunteer literacy coaches to work with at-risk children in K through 3rd grade. Join our team of highly trained, committed coaches and work one-on-one with an Asheville elementary school student.

Attend our orientation/information session on Saturday, Feb. 8 to learn about the four-week training from Feb. 11 through March 8. Enrollment is limited to 20 trainees. There is a $25 materials fee, which may be waived for qualified candidates.

For more information, including time and directions, contact Volunteer Coordinator Julie Sherman at 251-4949 or mjuliesherman@gmail.com.

About Read to Succeed
Read to Succeed Asheville (R2S) was created in 2009 through the collaboration of community activists and the Asheville Housing Authority. Inspired by the conviction that the achievement gap in Asheville City Schools would have long-term negative consequences for the economic and social fabric of our community, this partnership conceived a program aimed at increasing the number of elementary school children who are at grade level in reading by the third grade.

The program’s mission and goals are based on data indicating that for some groups of Asheville children only 25% to 40% are at reading level by the third grade. This puts them at considerable risk for failure to graduate from high school, juvenile misbehavior, early pregnancy and long-term unemployment.

The first school-based Read to Succeed project was established at Ira B. Jones Elementary School in the spring semester of 2011 and a second school, Claxton Elementary, was added in early 2012. In 2013 we began coaching students in Hall Fletcher and Vance Elementary Schools. As our success with this student population spreads, teachers and school administrators eagerly identify children for our program.

These schools provide space for the tutoring, project support through their Volunteer Coordinators, and their classroom teachers work closely with the R2S Reading Coaches to insure that their tutoring sessions are as effective as possible.

Read to Succeed is an entirely volunteer program, from the hard working board of directors to the Reading Coaches who commit to providing two 45-minute sessions per week as well as continued coaching in the summer. Coaches are encouraged to build a positive nurturing relationship with their student in the belief that these connections will increase children’s motivation to learn as well as their self-esteem that flows from greater academic confidence.

 

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