January 8, 2018
SEED20 participant, Reading Partners Charlotte, kicks off 'Resolutions for Reading' to support struggling readers
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Sharon Harrington
Executive Director, Reading Partners Charlotte
704-618-4398 | sharon.harrington@
READING PARTNERS CHARLOTTE SEEKS TO INSPIRE ‘RESOLUTIONS FOR READING’ DURING NATIONAL MENTORING MONTH
Elementary students are ready to be matched with volunteer tutors
Charlotte, NC — January 5, 2018
Resolution for Reading
“As a mentor to a Reading Partners student, I want to have the same impact that my mentor had on me. My top priority is to build our students up into confident learners and to push them to their fullest potential.” – A Reading Partners volunteer tutor
Each year, National Mentoring Month celebrates the power of mentoring relationships and calls for more people to play a supportive role in the lives of children. This January, Reading Partners is sharing stories of mentorship from community volunteers, AmeriCorps members, and staff. The campaign is designed to inspire others to make Resolutions for Reading in the new year by providing students in under-resourced schools with the tutoring and mentorship they need to become proficient readers by the fourth grade.
A proven, national nonprofit that mobilizes community volunteers to work one-on-one with struggling readers, Reading Partners is determined to serve 300 students in Charlotte in the 2017-18 school year. Now is the time for our community to make Resolutions for Reading to ensure that our students have the reading skills and confidence they need to be successful in school and in life.
“While we’re proud that our program has been shown by rigorous research to boost reading proficiency, what is also so important is the social and emotional benefits and boost in confidence our students experience as a result of the one-on-one relationship they build with their reading partner,” said Sharon Harrington, Executive Director of Reading Partners Charlotte.
Reading Partners volunteers utilize an easy-to-follow, individualized lesson plan each week in order to meet students at their level and help them make the critical transition from learning to read to reading to learn.
Reading Partners Charlotte has an immediate need for volunteer tutors who can commit at least an hour a week to work with students in the following schools:
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John Motley Morehead STEM Academy/Nathaniel Alexander Elementary (After School Only – North Charlotte/University Community)
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Joseph W. Grier Academy (East Charlotte Community)
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Oakdale Elementary (West Charlotte Community)
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Sterling Elementary (South Charlotte Community)
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Stoney Creek Elementary (After School Only – North Charlotte/University Community)
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Sugar Creek Charter (North Charlotte Community)
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Tuckaseegee Elementary (West Charlotte Community)
SEED20 Selection
Recently, Reading Partners Charlotte was honored to be invited to join the SEED20 Class of 2018, which is sponsored by Social Venture Partners.
Each year, over a two-month period, SEED20 provides a select group of twenty nonprofits with training, coaching, feedback, and mentoring about how to succinctly articulate a compelling organization story. Ten of the nonprofits then participate in SEED20 OnStage, a high-energy competition for cash awards consisting of three-minute pitches to a panel of judges and a community audience. SEED20 OnStage includes a celebration following the pitches where the audience can interact and connect with all twenty nonprofits to learn more about their mission and opportunities for support and engagement.
Through the SEED20 program, Reading Partners will have access to high-quality coaching and professional development, enhance our marketing and brand presence in the community, and expand our funding network and partnerships. Reading Partners Charlotte is honored to “take the stage” along with the extraordinary Class of 2018 on April 16th at Knight Theater.
To learn about SEED20, please visit www.seed20.org. To learn about volunteering with Reading Partners, please email volunteerNC@readingpartners.
About Reading Partners
Reading Partners empowers students to succeed in reading and in life by engaging community volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring. Since its founding, the national nonprofit organization has provided proven, individualized literacy tutoring to nearly 45,000 elementary school students in under-resourced schools across ten states and the District of Columbia. Visitreadingpartners.org to learn more about our program impact or connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Recently, Reading Partners was recognized as a Best Practice Honoree during the 2017 Library of Congress Literacy Awards. The 2017 awards program honored 15 organizations for outstanding work in the field of literacy and implementation of best practices in literacy promotion.
Reading Partners volunteer tutors work with their students (photo credits: Reading Partners)
