Reading Allies Seeks Volunteers to Help Local Kids Learn Literacy

Reading Allies is once again seeking volunteers to give 30 minutes a week to help children in the Tuscaloosa area learn to read.

The literacy program pairs striving readers in first through third grade with trained community volunteers who deliver individualized lesson plans written by Reading Allies specialists, most of them retired or part-time teachers.

Tutoring begins the week of Sept. 8 and runs through the week of Nov. 16. Sessions last about 30 minutes and are held twice a week, with volunteers working one-on-one with students.

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Volunteers can sign up for as many or as few time slots as they want, but Reading Allies asks that anyone who commits to a slot stay with it for the full semester, since students work with the same tutor throughout.

Volunteers must be at least 16 years old and must meet some basic background check requirements. Once registered, a volunteer coordinator for the area will follow up with details about training and school placement.

Reading Allies launched in 2017 as a collaboration between the University of Alabama Honors College, the Tuscaloosa Rotary Club and the Tuscaloosa City School System. It has since expanded into schools in both the city and county systems and now operates as a signature initiative of the Tuscaloosa Education Foundation.

To volunteer, visit readingallies.org/volunteer and select Tuscaloosa from the region menu, which will populate the available schools, dates and times. Anyone having trouble with the form can email the Reading Allies team at readingallies@gmail.com.

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