Phoenix residents who are over age 50 are needed to volunteer their time to help second and third-graders with their reading skills (submitted photo).
The city of Phoenix Youth and Education Office is looking for committed and passionate individuals, aged 50 and over, to assist second and third grade students in increasing their reading fluency skills.
It’s an astounding fact, but only 30 percent of Arizona fourth-grade students were reading proficiently in 2017, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The city of Phoenix is working to fix this problem, but help is needed.
Working with AARP Foundation Experience Corps Phoenix, trained volunteer tutors aged 50 and older are helping children become proficient readers by the time they finish third grade. The program taps into the experience and passion of older Arizonans to ensure that every child has a chance to succeed in school and life. And so far, it’s working, the city says. Ninety percent of the students who receive one-on-one coaching with AARP Foundation Experience Corps Phoenix have shown significant improvement in critical literacy skills. Teachers report that the tutors make a positive impact on attendance, reducing disruptive behavior and increasing participation.
Read On Phoenix is part of the statewide effort of Read On Arizona, a partnership of agencies, philanthropic organizations and community stakeholders committed to creating an effective range of services to improve language and literacy skills for Arizona’s children. AARP Foundation Experience Corps currently serves more than 32,000 students nationwide. Phoenix is the 22nd city to offer AARP Foundation Experience Corps in its public schools.
To become an Experience Corps Phoenix volunteer tutor, residents must be at least 50 years old, possess a high school diploma, and agree to volunteer two days per week, for a total of 5 hours per week throughout a school year; participate in a two-day training session, along with ongoing training throughout the school year; attend monthly meetings; and successfully pass a background check.
Applications are accepted throughout the year. Information sessions for prospective literacy tutors are available from May through August, in-person and online. To learn more, email ecphx@phoenix.gov, call 602-256-4388 or visit www.phoenix.gov/administration/departments/education/get-involved/read-on/aarp-foundation-experience-corps.html.
