WEST HARTFORD, CONN. (August 27, 2018) – In just 30 minutes per week, you can help children improve their literacy skills and develop a lifelong love of books. Children's Reading Partners is seeking volunteers for its Elementary Express program, which serves at-risk students in kindergarten through sixth grades at 16 schools in Bloomfield, East Hartford, Hartford, Manchester, New Britain and West Hartford and offers enrichment opportunities for local children at a public library in Bloomfield. 

Both teachers and volunteers praise the Elementary Express program. “I have seen tremendous growth in both of my students who participate. They have gone up in their reading levels and they are reading more fluently,” reported a teacher at Gaffney Elementary School in New Britain.” A volunteer at Burns Latino Studies Academy in Hartford noted, “After you get to know the children and they get to know you, a bonding occurs around the joy of reading.... I always learn something new, either from the book we are reading or the comments from the children.”

It’s easy to become a Reading Mentor with Children’s Reading Partners. Simply attend a training session, submit your application and select a 30-minute-per-week time slot to read to a child. Volunteer times are available during the school day, after school or in the evening.

Prospective volunteers may attend any of the following training sessions:

• Thursday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m. at Congregation Kol Haverim, 1079 Hebron Avenue, Glastonbury
• Monday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m. at the Community Services Building, 333 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford
• Thursday, September 20 at 1:00 p.m. at the Community Services Building, 333 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford

To learn more or to sign up for a training session, please contact Children's Reading Partners at read@jewishhartford.org or (860) 236-7323.   

Children’s Reading Partners is an initiative of the Jewish Community Relations Council, part of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford. It welcomes volunteers of all faiths and serves students of all backgrounds. Since its founding in 1998, Children’s Reading Partners has served over 6,500 students with more than 104,000 reading sessions and provided 6,500 new books to students and their classrooms. Major grant funding is provided by the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford, SBM Charitable Foundation, the Stocker Foundation, the Jeffrey P. Ossen Family Foundation, the Kinder Morgan Foundation, People’s United Community Foundation, and George A. & Grace L. Long Foundation at Bank of America.

Caption: Help local children improve their reading skills and create a foundation for academic success by volunteering with Children’s Reading Partners.