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Reading is critical for young students, and that’s why a local nonprofit works to make sure students are on the right track to success.

Reading Partners DC helps out by providing volunteers to read to students across the district.

To help continue this important work, 7News Caroline Patrickis and Easterns Automotive Group surprised Reading Partners DC with a 7News Helping Hand.

鈥淩eading Partners DC is an education nonprofit organization. We focus on early literacy by going into our communities, training, recruiting, volunteers and bringing them into our school partners and providing individualized tutoring to students grades K through four,鈥� Reading Partners DC executive director Barry Brinkley said.

Volunteers across the district sit down and read to students for 45 minutes, twice a week. On this particular day, 7News reporter Caroline Patrickis read to students at Center City Public Charter School.

Reading Partners DC says students who are not reading proficiently by the fourth grade are four times less likely to graduate on time.

鈥淲e know that if students don鈥檛 know how to read, we are not setting them up for school or life, and so the earlier the better because as they get older, it is harder to gain those skills,鈥� Brinkley said.

Brinkley said they have 600 volunteer tutors and help in more than 22 schools.

“I just recently talked to a high school senior who was a part of our program 10 years ago who wrote about her Reading Partners experience in her high school essay, so we know people are still thinking about it years after our program,鈥� Brinkley said.

That鈥檚 why 7News and Easterns Automotive Group surprised Reading Partners DC with a 7News Helping Hand of $2,200.

鈥淭his is going to buy a lot of books for our young people, so this is awesome. Thank you so much!鈥� Brinkley said.

You can follow along with Reading Partners DC and find out how to get involved by聽visiting their website here.