WAYNE COUNTY, NC – Communities Supporting Schools of Wayne County is actively recruiting volunteers for their Reading Buddy program, an initiative designed to foster literacy skills and build meaningful relationships between community members and elementary school students.
The program, which operates in four Wayne County elementary schools, pairs volunteers with students for one-on-one reading sessions aimed at improving comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency while building self-confidence and motivation.
“Reading buddies provide much more than literacy support,” said Selena Bennett, Executive Director of Communities Supporting Schools of Wayne County. “They build caring relationships that help children develop self-confidence and foster a genuine love for reading that can impact their entire academic journey.”
The volunteer opportunity is currently available at Brogden Primary School, Carver Elementary, Carver Heights Elementary, and North Drive Elementary. Each school has designated Success Coaches who work directly with volunteers to coordinate their involvement in the program.
According to program organizers, the initiative focuses on several key outcomes: building caring relationships between volunteers and students, providing motivation for academic success, developing student self-confidence, fostering a love for reading, and improving essential literacy skills including comprehension, vocabulary development, and reading fluency.
The program utilizes a one-on-one mentoring model, allowing volunteers to work directly with individual students in school settings. This personalized approach enables volunteers to tailor their support to each child’s specific needs and reading level.
Interested volunteers can contact Bennett at 919-735-1432 or via email at sbennett@waynecss.org. Those wishing to volunteer at specific schools can also reach out directly to the Success Coaches: Becky Dixon at Brogden Primary School (bdixon@waynecss.org), Wendy Hooks at Carver Elementary (whooks@waynecss.org), Robin DeVeaux and Nikki Jackson at Carver Heights Elementary (rdeveaux@waynecss.org and njackson@waynecss.org), and Velma Hartsfield at North Drive Elementary (vhartsfield@waynecss.org).
The Reading Buddy program represents Communities Supporting Schools of Wayne County’s ongoing commitment to educational support and community engagement, connecting local volunteers with students who can benefit from additional literacy support and mentorship.
