"Every American child must be able to read independently by the end of third grade..."
-- Richard W. Riley, U.S. Secretary of Education

General Colin Powell, President Clinton and former Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George Bush pledged at the 1997 Philadelphia Summit that volunteers would be mobilized to tutor elementary school children. This effort was named the "America Reads Challenge". As a result, in June 1997 SCVP, Inc. became the lead agency for a 5-county AmeriCorps VISTA "America Reads" grant to allow VISTA volunteers to go into the community and recruit tutors to meet this important challenge. Pictured below is Alta Ombres, an RSVP volunteer who accepted the Challenge and tutors at Pinecrest Elementary School in Sanford.

Currently there are 12 dedicated AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers recruiting and placing tutors in Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Martin and Marion counties in targeted schools where 50% of the students are reading below grade level.

Why is this so important? In the words of Carol Rasco, Senior Advisor to Richard W. Riley, "In grades kindergarten through third, children learn to read. After that, they read to learn."

Tutors come from all walks of life. They are students, retirees, homemakers, professionals, and RSVP volunteers. No experience is needed, only the desire to assist an elementary school child with essential reading skills. This will better their life at the same time it betters our community.

The children in your community need you. To learn more about becoming a tutor, call us today at (407) 323-4440, or use this online form to register for more information.