April 4, 2014
18 of the Nation's Leading Nonprofits Join Forces to Make Service a Part of the American Way of Life. #ServeAYear
On March 26, 2014, Reading Partners, along with 17 of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations, announced their involvement in a campaign to make a year of national service part of the american way of life.
Teach For America, City Year, Habitat For Humanity, and Reading Corps joined ranks with Reading Partners in this collaborative effort lead by Service Nation. This campaign will connect content creators in Hollywood with AmeriCorps members serving in communities across the country. The goal aims to inspire millions of Americans to “serve a year” by enlisting the voices of prominent leaders from both political parties, the entertainment industry, digital partners, major companies, leading nonprofits, and AmeriCorps alumni.
In the coming months, Americans interested in a year of service will be able to visit the campaign website, www.serveAyear.org. On the website they will learn about opportunities to serve with organizations tackling some of the nation’s most pressing issues and get more information on how to get involved.
The campaign breaks our nation’s issue areas into 9 pillars. Reading Partners has teamed up with Reading Corps under the Literacy Pillar, to encourage young people to serve a year and help in the effort to build lifelong readers.
The Literacy Pillar
Building lifelong readers with Reading Partners and Reading Corp
Third grade marks the turning point where students go from learning to read to reading to learn. Those who can read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to graduate from high school than those who do not. But in the United States, 80% of low-income fourth graders can’t read at grade-level. AmeriCorps members are working to narrow reading achievement gaps by helping struggling students catch up with their peers. AmeriCorps members help to build lifelong readers by tutoring students directly, as well as recruiting and training volunteer tutors to boost students’ reading skills, building students’ confidence and giving them the fundamental reading skills necessary to explore essential subjects like math, science, and history.
Reading Partners
Recruiting, training, and supporting community volunteers to work one-on-one with K-5 grade students, delivering our research-validated curriculum to narrow reading achievement gaps.
Reading Corps
Delivering research-based and proven literacy interventions to help struggling students, age three to grade three, reach critical reading milestones.
