AmeriCorps Polk Reads is a reading tutoring program for struggling kindergarten – third grade readers at select schools in Polk County. Our sites for the 2023-2024 school year are Sikes Elementary, Griffin Elementary, Eagle Lake Elementary, Padgett Elementary, Spook Hill Elementary, N.E. Roberts Elementary, Snively Elementary, Davenport Elementary, Eastside Elementary, Crystal Lake Elementary and Sandhill Elementary.
This year our program has 40+ AmeriCorps Polk Read members that are serving at the above schools in teams of 3-5. At these schools, the members provide (3) 30-minute, one-on-one tutoring sessions per week to students who are behind in reading. These sessions target the five components of effective reading instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary development, reading fluency and reading comprehension strategies) and work to move students up in their reading levels.
AmeriCorps Polk Reads will serve over 400 students this year and is made possible through a partnership between the Polk Education Foundation, Polk County Public Schools, and Volunteer Florida, Inc., as well as local support from George W. Jenkins Fund within the GiveWell Community Foundation, GiveWell Community Foundation, Suncoast Credit Union, as well as several private Corporate and Individual donors.