Reading Partners launches initiative to recruit more Black tutors for the 2024-25 school year
October 7, 2024
Nonprofit Aims to Strengthen Literacy Support for Students Through Increased Representation in Tutoring
[October 7, 2024, Oakland, CA]— Reading Partners, a national nonprofit committed to improving reading outcomes through community-driven tutoring and other literacy solutions, announced an initiative to recruit more Black tutors to serve their program participants.
Research demonstrates that students benefit academically and socially when they see themselves reflected in their mentors. Because services reach a majority of Black and Brown students, the organization believes that mentor representation can be improved by recruiting more Black tutors.
Studies show that having teachers and mentors of the same race can help Black students narrow disparities in reading and math. Additionally, when students have a mentor that looks like them, chronic absenteeism can decrease significantly and students can show an increase in their intent to pursue a four-year college degree. An hour a week of commitment from volunteer reading tutors can make a significant impact on all students.
Through deliberate outreach efforts and partnerships with community organizations, Reading Partners is making a special push to encourage Black volunteers to join as literacy tutors for the 2024-25 school year.
“We know how powerful it can be for young students, especially Black students, to see themselves in their tutors,” said Adeola Whitney, CEO of Reading Partners. “All students benefit from more inclusive learning environments; they need to feel seen, understood, and supported. Having tutors they can relate to is an important step in helping students grow, not just as readers, but as individuals.”
Key objectives of this recruitment effort include:
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- Raising awareness about the early literacy opportunity gap in Black communities.
- Highlighting the critical role Black mentors play in supporting students’ academic success and personal development.
- Encouraging Black community members to volunteer as literacy tutors and make a difference in the lives of students.
Reading Partners emphasizes the importance of literacy in unlocking student potential. Studies show that students who can read proficiently by third or fourth grade are significantly more likely to succeed in other subjects and graduate high school on time. However, only 16 percent of Black fourth-graders are reading at a proficient level, according to the , often referred to as The Nation’s Report Card.
While this campaign is part of a targeted tutor outreach effort, Reading Partners values volunteers from all backgrounds. Tutors who sign up with Reading Partners will receive comprehensive training and ongoing support to ensure they can provide the best possible tutoring experience. Volunteers are asked to commit just one hour per week, helping to create a supportive space where students can improve their literacy skills and gain the confidence they
need to succeed.
For more information about what it takes to become a volunteer tutor or to sign up, please visit or contact volunteer@readingpartners.org.
For media inquiries, please contact Jennifer Peters at peters@collaborativecommunications.com
About Reading Partners
For nearly 25 years, Reading Partners has helped empower students to succeed in school andvbeyond by engaging community volunteers to provide proven, one-on-one literacy tutoring.Since its founding, the national nonprofit organization has mobilized over 85,000 community volunteers to provide nearly 3 million individualized literacy tutoring sessions to more than 80,000 elementary school students in over 550 under-resourced schools across ten states and the District of Columbia. Visit to learn more about our program impact and our Reading Partners Connects online program innovation, or connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. Reading Partners is a proud AmeriCorps service partner and has been endorsed by The New York Times and featured on The TODAY Show and GMA.