According to Studer Community Institute, 34 percent of Escambia County children fail kindergarten readiness tests. This deficiency often continues and correlates closely to the 27 percent of Escambia County students who do not graduate from High School with their peers.
ReadingPals is a school-based mentoring program that helps prekindergarten students build the strong literacy skills necessary for success. Trained volunteers use themed literacy kits that include books, manipulatives, puzzles and games that they share with their 4-year-old reading “pal.†By supporting children during formative years, you can help prepare them for a successful future.
To improve educational outcomes, United Way of Escambia County and Every Child a Reader in Escambia (ECARE) are partnering to support 200 volunteers who serve one hour per week with a student. If you can give 25 hours to help a child during the coming school year, please call to register for an informational session. All informational sessions will be held in United Way’s Community Room at 1301 W Government Street. The dates and times for these sessions are:
Tuesday, July 5 at 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Wednesday, July 13 at 5:30 to 6 pm
Friday, July 15 at 11 to 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, July 19 at 8 to 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, July 27 at 5:30 to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug 3 at 8 to 8:30 a.m.
This past school year, 227 volunteers donated 3,827 hours as ReadingPals. A total of $1,347 in supplies were also given to support the program. In total, ReadingPals returned a $89,641 impact on our community in the 2015-2016 school year. Join United Way and ECARE as we invest in students who are the future for Escambia County!
For more information about ReadingPals or to volunteer, call United Way at 850-434-3157 or email readingpals@unitedwayescambia.org.