Volunteers are needed to help local kids learn to read through United Way California Capital Region’s STARS program that pairs volunteers and students up through sixth grade for online literacy tutoring so they can succeed in school. No prior tutoring knowledge is needed, as United Way provides training for its volunteers, all of whom commit to at least one hour each week split into two 30-minute sessions for three months. Volunteers are especially needed during the hours of 3-5pm. For more information or to sign up as a volunteer: YourLocalUnitedWay.org/STARS.
“We know that if kids aren’t reading at grade level by fourth grade, they will have a hard time keeping up across multiple subjects for years to come,” said Amber Lovett, interim president and CEO, United Way California Capital Region. “Our STARS volunteers make a world of difference in a child’s life by giving just one hour a week. Our tutors not only help them read, they act as positive role models that improve children’s overall confidence in school.”
United Way’s STARS, an acronym for Students and Tutors Achieving Reading Success, has 65 volunteers enrolled to work with nearly 100 students in Robla School District, CHOC housing sites in Yolo County and Woodland Joint Unified School District to provide online tutoring through the platform Book Nook so kids can reach grade level reading. Together, the tutor and student work through the literacy curriculum and build vocabulary, fluency and comprehension skills through a variety of games, books and lessons provided in the online portal.
The local United Way has been helping children improve literacy for more than four years, including through its AARP Experience Corps program that paired retirees with children in schools before the pandemic hit.
For nearly 100 years, United Way California Capital Region has brought local people together to make community change happen. With a mission to build stronger, healthier and more compassionate communities, the local United Way starts at square one: helping every family succeed so their community can too. Serving Amador, El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties, the local United Way is working to meet its 20-year commitment to significantly reduce poverty in the region by building capacity in undervalued communities, creating meaningful partnerships, seeking equity in education and making social justice investments in families. For more information or to make a donation, visit YourLocalUnitedWay.org.