BETTENDORF, Iowa — United Way Quad Cities is looking for a few good men and women to volunteer to read with elementary school students in Rock Island and Scott counties.
The nonprofit is seeking 200 more volunteers to meet one-on-one with kids who may be struggling and at risk of falling further behind in reading.
United Way QC kicked off the "Read United" program in 2022 and more than 800 community members have volunteered so far.
Volunteers sign up for a 30-minute weekly reading session during school hours that work with their schedule and they can choose from 26 participating schools.
The program targets students in third grade and younger. Children are recommended by their teacher, who can determine who would benefit most from the additional support.
Those interested in signing up can do so here and are encouraged to sign up by March 10.
“In early 2022, we were worried. As a result of the COVID learning disruption, reading proficiency rates had fallen from about 2/3 of third-grade students reading on grade level to 30%,” Angela Snyder, United Way Quad Cities chief strategy officer, said.
“But, the fact is, more than 875 caring people, over 500 in the first six months of the program, have made time from their busy schedules to meet with a student and help them grow. Words cannot describe how proud that makes me for the Quad Cities," Snyder said.
According to United Way QC, early test scores of participating students have shown promise. After the Spring 2022 session of Read United, 92% of participating students improved their reading proficiency levels.
“We’ve made progress as a community, bucking national trends of decreased volunteerism,” Snyder said. “But any student unable to read on grade level is concerning, and we have a way to go to give students and schools the support they need.”
Volunteers need to be 18 years or older, pass a background check, and complete an online 30-minute training session.
To register, visit the United Way website, click the “volunteer” button, and choose a city to find options for the day, time, and location that works best.
