FALL READING SESSIONS

Many thanks to everyone who has signed up for our fall program! Reading sessions resume at some of our partner schools as soon as Tuesday, Oct. 19. 

We are excited to report that our Hoot Reading app has been updated, so we anticipate stronger and more stable connections. And, with students back in the classroom, we anticipate that attendance for reading sessions will be higher. 

For phase one of our fall program launch, 370 students have been paired with Reading Mentors, and 54 students are waiting to be paired. 

Not signed up yet? There's still time! View our fall schedule here. You can volunteer one lunch hour a week, twice a month, or as often as your schedule allows—no evenings or weekends! All fall volunteer opportunities are virtual. 

If you've volunteered in a prior school year, simply email Hayley your preferred reading session(s). New to our program? Apply here. Have questions? Email Hayley.

Students need the personalized reading and mentoring support Lead to Read KC Reading Mentors provide now, more than ever. Please share our newsletter! 
JOIN OUR TEAM

We are hiring a part-time Zoom/On-Site Site Coordinator to work with our program team to coordinate volunteers, students, teachers and administrators to ensure reading sessions are positive, meaningful experiences. Site Coordinators may serve both in person in school classrooms and on Zoom, providing light technology support to students and volunteers. We will provide training.
 
Seeking very enthusiastic, flexible candidates! $15 per hour for 5-10 hours a week, usually mid-day. Total hours vary based on personal availability. 
 
Interested, or have questions? Please email Allison.
Did you know that school-age children spend 80 percent of their waking hours outside of school? Encouraging children to read wherever they are is an important part of helping them become strong readers. That’s why we have expanded our book distribution program to reach children and caregivers where they are.

Thank you to everyone who joined us as a guest or volunteer at our recent community events, including the PARK(ing) Day Festival, Neighborhood Connect Day and Troostapalooza!  

In addition to participating in community events, our Reading Is EverywhereSM initiative includes strategically placing baskets of books into locations within communities that experience social vulnerabilities. To date, we have distributed more than 1,200 books. 

Our community partners now include ten social service agencies, hair salons, barber shops, restaurants and retailers—making books more accessible to children outside of schools and libraries.

Want to get involved? Read our book donation guidelines, or email Katherine.
Lead to Read KC has partnerships with elementary schools across the Kansas City metro, making it easy for local volunteers to sign up at a school near their home or office. But what about those living outside Kansas City who want to help our students? Our digital reading and mentoring program makes volunteering easy and meaningful for them, too.
 
Reading Mentor Diane Shankwitz said this about her experience:

"On a day that I was slightly stressed, a child’s smile or eagerness to read warmed my heart and erased any stress. On a day a child was feeling down, simply giving them undivided attention for 30 minutes was perhaps a greater gift beyond just reading."
FALL ORIENTATION SESSIONS | A brief virtual orientation session—including training on our Hoot Reading app—is being held one week before the program launch at each school. Have questions? Please watch for an email from your Site Coordinator, or email volunteer@leadtoreadkc.org.

FALL READING SESSIONS | Reading sessions begin at most of our partner schools either the week of Oct. 17 or the week of Oct. 24. Schedules vary. Watch for an email from your Site Coordinator with details for your school!

STAY UP TO DATE | Follow Lead to Read KC on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. If you're a Reading Mentor, watch for updates from your Site Coordinator.
10 years of creating a community of readers, one lunch hour at a time.