ABQ Reads seeks a boost in volunteers
Program helps kids in need of assistance
Students and teachers are now officially back at school. Albuquerque Reads volunteers won’t be far behind — and they’re looking to strengthen their ranks for the 2016-17 year.
Recruitment has begun for the program, which pairs reading tutors with kindergarteners every week at local schools. Established in 2002, the program typically runs with about 400 volunteers and focuses on a trio of Title I schools.
It is a joint effort between the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Albuquerque Public Schools.
Pat Dee of U.S. Bank, chair of the chamber’s Albuquerque Reads committee and one of the program’s original volunteers, said a year’s worth of one-on-one sessions add up to big gains for the participating students. Some arrive without knowing the alphabet or the sounds each letter makes but often finish with the skills needed to read a basic children’s book, Dee said.
“It’s about making a real difference in the life of a child. We see these kids who come to school and they’re not really prepared to begin to read or to learn how to read,” he said, adding that individual literacy sessions during kindergarten set them up for success in first grade. “The progress they make through the year (makes) it just the most rewarding volunteer work I’ve ever done.”
Volunteers visit the school for about 90 minutes each week, which includes 30-minute sessions with two different students. Volunteers unable to make every session can form teams of up to four people to share the commitment.
The program focuses on three APS elementaries: Atrisco, Bel-Air and Wherry. The program begins the week of Sept. 19, and times and days vary by location.
Volunteers can register at abqreads.com. They must pass a background check and attend a three-hour training session.