Over 10 years ago, Christ Together Greater Austin came together with leaders from Central Texas to discuss some pressing issues that needed to be addressed within the community. Among those problems were school dropout rates which were often directly associated with literacy rates.
Throughout this process, we learned that a student not reading at his or her grade level by the end of 3rd grade, is 4 times less likely to graduate high school on time and 6 times less likely for students from low-income families to graduate high school on time. It became evident that there is a connection between literacy rates and high school dropout rates. The ongoing challenge is that each child needs to learn to read proficiently…and you can help!
How You Can Help: Become A Literacy Partner
Registration for the 2021-2022 school year opened on August 4th. You can register to become a volunteer by simply visiting www.education-connection.org and completing the simple steps. You can apply to become a Literacy Partner in one of 11 school districts, serving over 93 schools.
Important Notes About Registering…
- Everyone must register to participate in order to read to students. You can do so at www.education-connection.org. You will need to complete the registration steps with Education Connection & with the individual school district background check application of your choice.
- Sign-up for training on the registration form as well as select the school of your choice.
- Our partnerships require that every volunteer goes through training and a district background check each year.
- Invite all your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to join you! We are in dire need of church partnerships, business partnerships, and overall volunteers for the upcoming school year. If you know anyone that would even be slightly interested, please reach out to them or have them contact info@education-connection.org!
We are hopeful to be back in the schools reading for the Fall semester and looking forward to another successful year. Thank you for your interest in Education Connection and helping the next generation to succeed!