Monterey County Reads – Volunteers Helping Area Children
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The Challenge We Face
Giving the Children of Monterey County the Tools They Need to Succeed.
The statistics are daunting. Fifty million American adults read no higher than a fourth or fifth grade level. And the problem is growing. Each year, the number of adults who can be classified as functionally illiterate increases by 2.25 million. Seventy percent of state and federal prisoners can be classified as illiterate and 43 percent of Americans with the lowest literacy skills live in poverty.
These facts prove that literacy is a child’s key to opportunity. The Monterey County Reads program dedicates itself to providing the children of Monterey County with the tools they need to achieve happy and productive lives, using literacy as a means to avoid poverty or incarceration.
A Tested Commitment to Monterey County’s Children
The History of Monterey County Reads
The Monterey County Reads consortium was launched in the spring of 1997 by college and university presidents, the Monterey County Office of Education, school superintendents, school administrators and the Panetta Institute. By the fall of 1997, college students from the participating universities were working in elementary schools in Alisal and Monterey Peninsula Unified School Districts – providing the one-to-one reading help that benefits struggling readers. Today, the consortium includes many Monterey County school districts, colleges and a coalition of businesses, community organizations, faith-based organizations, hospitals, military installations, law enforcement groups, and government offices. Administered by the Panetta Institute, Monterey County Reads has placed nearly 1,900 volunteers who served more than 89,000 hours. The effort continues with growing numbers of volunteers committed to fighting illiteracy.
How You Can Help
Volunteering with Monterey County Reads
The Monterey County Reads program recruits, trains and places volunteers from the community in elementary schools throughout Monterey County. Volunteers receive training from literacy specialists, followed by on-site orientations, before beginning regular one-to-one reading sessions with specially selected children in the early elementary grades.
Participating School Districts
- Carmel Unified School District
- Monterey Peninsula Unified School District
- North Monterey County Unified School District
- Salinas City Elementary School District
- Santa Rita Union School District
- Soledad Unified School District
- San Antonio Union School District
Steps to Becoming a Volunteer
- Application and Sponsorship
All volunteers must submit an application, along with a valid government-issued photo identification, and must be sponsored by a participating sponsor. - Training
Volunteers who have completed an application attend a two-hour training with a literacy specialist on techniques for reading with children. - Placement
Panetta Institute staff identifies a school site that can receive the volunteer at mutually convenient dates and times, and coordinates the volunteer’s work schedule. - Reading Sessions
Reading sessions generally last from 20-30 minutes and involve one-to-one reading between the volunteer and the child. Volunteers read in the line of sight of assigned school personnel to ensure the security of the child.
Celebrating Service
Book and Certificate Distributions
In 2003, Oprah Winfrey visited the Central Coast as part of her popular book club. While here she was inspired by the work of Monterey County Reads and awarded the program a generous $50,000 five-year grant from her Angel Network Foundation. These funds are used to purchase new books, which are presented to each participating student at end of semester book and certificate distributions.
To recognize the students’ efforts, at the conclusion of each semester, participating children receive a new book along with a special certificate signed by the Monterey County Superintendent of Schools, the principal of the school and the director of the Panetta Institute. Volunteers and school personnel are encouraged to participate in these special ceremonies.
Annual Volunteer Recognition Ceremony
A Volunteer Recognition Ceremony is held each spring during which volunteers are acknowledged and applauded for their work. At this event they receive a certificate of achievement and a Monterey County Reads volunteer pin in recognition of their service. Several are invited to speak about their experiences and share their thoughts about the program. A special Golden Threads award is presented to those volunteers who have served generously.
Organizational Support from the Panetta Institute
Panetta Institute staff coordinates the Monterey County Reads program by working with volunteers to determine placement and scheduling as well as maintenance of records. A staff member attends each volunteer’s initial school site orientation and the first day of volunteering. Then, staff serves as contact between the school and the volunteer to make sure that Monterey County Reads guidelines are followed. Also, all recognition ceremonies for students and volunteers are arranged by the Panetta Institute.
Special Thanks to AmeriCorps*VISTA
For its first nine years, this program relied on the assistance of a dedicated team of AmeriCorps*VISTA members, and we are deeply grateful for their efforts. Anyone interested in joining AmeriCorps*VISTA should contact the Corporation for National Community Service at www.cns.gov.
Please Help Us Reach More Children
To reach more children, we need more Monterey County Reads partners – businesses and other organizations – to join us by offering volunteers. You can also help by contributing money to this important effort.
We welcome your interest and questions. Please contact us.