August 22, 2022
Literacy Nonprofit Celebrates 10 Years in the Books!
Media Advisory
August 22, 2022
Contact
Christine Messick
Director, Community Engagement
Christine.messick@
843-830-3230
Reading Partners South Carolina is launching its 10-year anniversary celebration at the Riverdogs!
What: Reading Partners SC, an educational nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that all elementary school students have the foundational literacy skills necessary to be successful in school and beyond, is pleased to announce the kick off of their year-long 10th anniversary celebration beginning August 31st as the featured nonprofit at the Charleston Riverdogs game. Former Riverdog, motivational speaker, author and Reading Partners board member, Chris Singleton, will be speaking on behalf of the organization.
Reading Partners has served 5,368 students with the help of 11,165 community volunteers over the last ten years. The numbers are impressive, but the real success story has been the student academic gains and social/emotional maturity that have developed as a result of having a consistent, caring volunteer tutor sharing just an hour a week to make sure that all students in our community have the best odds for success in school and in life. Last year, 89% of kindergarten through second grade students met or exceeded their primary end of year growth goal.
Why: There is a literacy crisis in this country and right here in South Carolina, where only 20% of students experiencing economic challenges are reading proficiently by the end of 4th grade. If students are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade, they are four times more likely to drop out of school. Reading Partners aims to change those odds and needs community support now more than ever since it is estimated that students have lost an additional seven months to a year’s worth of learning during the pandemic. For more information on becoming a tutor during the 2022-23 school year, please visit www.readingpartners.org. No teaching experience is required. Orientation, onsite support and a structured, easy-to-follow curriculum is provided.
When: Wednesday, August 31 at 7:00pm.
Where: Joseph Riley Park, 360 Fishburne St, Charleston, SC 29403.
About Reading Partners
Reading Partners’ mission is to help children become lifelong readers by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction with measurable results. Each year, hundreds of local volunteer tutors across Charleston and Berkeley Counties support students on their paths toward becoming strong, confident readers.
