United Way of Wapello County has joined with local nonprofits, businesses and the school districts to address high rates of poverty and low reading proficiency scores in our community. The Cradle-College-Career (C3) Initiative works to “increase the number of students and citizens who are ready for, have access to and persist in reaching their goals to obtain a college degree and/or credential.” UWWC is focused specifically on improving reading proficiency, school readiness and attendance and increase summer learning. These measures contribute to high school and college graduation rates and lifetime earning potential.
The VISTA member will work to complete the Community Solutions Action Plan or CSAP, which is the Grade Level Reading Network application. Membership in the Grade Level Reading Network is a requirement to access several grants which support literacy programs, and it will give us access to plans and materials developed by similar communities around literacy promotion.
They will also work with Volunteer Center staff to recruit, coordinate and train volunteers to work with students to improve early grade reading skills, which directly correlates to increases in degree attainment and lifetime earning potential.
The VISTA member will identify current summer reading programs, help form partnerships and identify additional needs in organizations working to increase learning retention over summer break.
- Recruit and train Reading Buddies volunteers
- Identify potential partners and opportunities for volunteer recruitment
- Develop recruitment materials and presentations
- Coordinate volunteer training sessions and orientations
- Evaluate Reading Buddies program
- Develop evaluation tools to measure volunteer and school staff satisfaction.
- Work with teachers to evaluate student progress.
- Identify any needed changes to the program.
- Work with UWWC to complete the Grade Level Reading Network application
- Use asset map of the community to determine the areas of need around reading levels.
- Use identified needs to develop the Community Solutions Action Plan.
- Act as the point of contact for the Grade Level Reading Network
- Evaluate and expand summer learning programs
- Identify current summer reading programs.
- Research effective summer programs in similar communities.
- Make recommendations on potential programs in Wapello County.