Neighbor’s Way Reading Mentors
Teen Trendsetters™ & Neighbor’s Way Mentoring Grant Applications Now Online!
Open to Schools & Nonprofit Groups in Florida. Access online Application Here.
To learn more or to see if a mentoring grant is available in your community please email info@volunteerusafund.org or call 352-237-6685.
Deadline to apply is July 20, 2012.
Neighbor’s Way Reading Mentors provides one-on-one mentoring by community members to second and third grade students who are at least six-months behind their peers in reading. It’s a great way to ensure that community volunteers have an impact with helping children become successful readers by the end of third grade. Local mentor organizations works with us to purchase the materials and individuals sign up to volunteer as mentors through these community organizations.
You can learn about the program details for Neighbor’s Way Reading Mentors here.
How Neighbor’s Way Reading Mentors Works:
Caring community members and mentor groups work together to set up the Neighbor’s Way Program; each program averages 9 adult mentors.- A partnership is established with a local elementary school to pair mentors with second and third graders who have fallen behind their peers in reading.
- Adult volunteers receive training and mentor guides to become effective youth mentors.
- Mentors provide one-on-one reading guidance for one hour a week throughout the school year.
- Mentees use science-themed student workbook and approximately 15 free books over the course of the year to build their home library.
- Community programs will have access to accountability system that includes demographic, contact management and assessment tracking.
- At an average cost of $220 a year for a mentor/mentee match, the program is cost-effective.
Getting your community organization involved with Neighbor’s Way Reading Mentors is easy. We provide you with the training, curriculum and books that your volunteers will use to boost the skills and confidence of their young mentees. Simply contact us by email at teecy.matthews@volunteerusafund.org or call 352.237.6685.
Neighbor’s Way Reading Mentors is based on Volunteer USA’s successful and immensely popular Teen Trendsetters™ Reading Mentors program. It offers an incredible opportunity to get caring neighbors in local communities involved with a proven and effective youth mentor program. We are proud of our accomplishments:
Our Young Mentees Respond:
We had a student that was a behavior issue, ADHD and struggled with reading. His mentor had tremendous patience, and understanding and she worked tirelessly with him throughout the year: The result is that he scored a 4 on the FCAT and is being promoted and his behavior has greatly improved. – MaryAnn Foster, Educator in Florida
Our unique reading mentoring program also gives high school students the training and confidence they need to serve as positive role models to their younger peers. Encouraging minority leadership is our strong suit.
“One young man, Tony, talked about how Teen Trendsetters™ helped him learn that he really enjoys helping others and gave him confidence. In fact, Tony became an advocate for an anti-bullying campaign, began tutoring his peers, and developed a caring, positive relationship with his mentee.” – Kelly Messerly, Georgia teacher
5500 stakeholder pre and post surveys
- A majority of parents on the post test thought that their children’s reading skills (94%), eagerness to read with a family member (84%), as well as their skills in reading out loud (90%) were positively impacted
- The majority of educators responded affirmatively to students’ growth in reading fluency (94%), comprehension (96%), and reading aloud in class (81%)
- (96%) of mentees reported that they liked spending time with their mentors
Details and Getting Started: Launch a Neighbor’s Way Reading Mentors program in your community.
Please contact us at teecy.matthews@volunteerusafund.org or call 352.237.6685 to sign up or learn more.
