Read Alliance at the One-Year Mark
Dear friends of Read Alliance,
As we surpass a full year of living in a pandemic, a generation of Kindergarten and first graders will have lost steady in-person academic instruction for 12 months or more, which we know is only compounding the need to provide impactful literacy intervention, on top of the need that would already exist had the pandemic never happened.
When schools closed, READ supporters stepped up to ensure that in spite of the most challenging circumstances, our unique one-to-one model continued virtually. With your support, we continue to unite inspiring Teen Leaders with striving young readers who need individual tutoring and encouragement to catch up and excel academically.
Above, a virtual tutoring session.
After successfully piloting a virtual tutoring program during the summer of 2020, which served more than 100 children in Kindergarten, first and second grades, most of whom had little or no in-person instruction since March, Read Alliance was positioned to implement virtual programming as soon as the school year began in the fall. We have continued uninterrupted since then, enrolling nearly 300 early elementary children and employing nearly 75 teen leaders as their individual reading tutors so far this school year – across all five boroughs.
Above, a virtual Teen Leader Development workshop.
In appreciation of the urgency of the moment, Read Alliance has not, and will not, falter in ensuring that our proven method for improving reading skills is implemented without interruption, even when traditional methods of delivering READ programming are not possible. We transformed to virtual programming to continue to provide paid job opportunities for teens in a safe and supervised environment, who in turn provide important foundational reading skills for children. And those children are demonstrating reading gains similar to those we see from in-person programming. In this way, we are continuing to deliver on a mission that has become more important than ever.
Above, a virtual Completion Ceremony.
Together with our staff, our donors, our volunteer leaders, school leadership and our corporate and community partners, we create nurturing and educational communities which center the voices of youth and lift up the idea that we are stronger together.
I cannot thank you enough for partnering with us to make this this possible.
In solidarity,
Danielle Guindo
Executive Director