Coming Together to Teach Kids to Read in Detroit

Posted by Devon Akmon | Filed under Community Involvement

What do 3,639 people have in common? The answer is an interest in teaching the children of Detroit how to read. Back in December the Detroit Free Press, in partnership with Detroit Public Schools, made a call for citizens to volunteer 100,000 hours collectively to tutor reading in the DPS. The public has responded.

Yesterday marked the beginning of something powerful. Approximately 2,500 volunteers attended a rally and training at Detroit Renaissance High School for the newly established Detroit Reading Corps. So far 3,639 people have signed up to volunteer 434,187 hours of their time over five years to tutor prekindergarten students. The ultimate goal is to have every student reading at grade level or above by third grade, by 2015. It’s an audacious but achievable goal.

The three-hour rally and training was filled with excitement. It was great seeing such a diverse group of people come together for a common interest. It’s not something one sees often in our region. I can’t help but wonder if this bold endeavor will have several other positive effects on SE Michigan and beyond.

The rally was filled with inspiring speeches from Charles Pugh, Detroit City Council President; Yvette Bing, Detroit’s First Lady; and Robert Bobb, Detroit Public Schools Emergency Financial Manager. Several musical performances from school children got the larger crowd clapping and smiling.

The training was rather short, but sweet. Volunteers were given a series of tools including a handbook, session plans and other tools to meet the goals of each lesson.

At this point volunteers are waiting on the results of a background check and their placement at a particular school. Personally, I’m really looking forward to receiving my assignment and I hope to make a small impact on some child’s life.

Some facts about the program:

Volunteers are being asked to tutor at least one hour a week in a school, working with a prekindergarten student.
Volunteers will have to undergo a criminal background check, which will be conducted at no charge to volunteers.
Volunteers will be required to show a photo identification card, which will be provided by DPS, whenever they come to a school site.
Volunteers are asked to commit at least one year; however, all are encouraged to continue to work with their designated children through subsequent grades.

Volunteer with the Detroit Reading Corps.
Read more at the Detroit Free Press.