Photo by Lisa Bontje

Last month Team Read hired just over 400 teens in Seattle and Highline to tutor 2nd-4th grade readers at local elementary schools, libraries, and community centers.

With several new tutoring sites this year, our operations team decided to reach out to more middle and high schools, as well as community organizations, to recruit reading coaches. We’re excited to have some new faces and welcome back many long-time coaches. Here are some fun facts about our teens:

  • 193 return coaches
  • 208 new coaches
  • 55% speak a language other than English (16+ different languages)
  • 55 former Team Read student readers

“I hope to impact my student by helping him realize his true potential, and helpĀ him not only learn to read, but to love reading.” (Mahiet, reading coach)

With more than 750 applicants,Team Read staff carefully reviewed applications, invited teens to training, and selected coaches to work at our 16 tutoring sites. “I really enjoyed visiting classrooms, engaging with students, and seeing them get excited about the program,” said Highline program assistant, Alicia. “And the high school staff was tremendously supportive throughout the recruiting process.”

Interested in volunteering at our upcoming December Reading Coach Workshops? We’re looking for caring adults to lead student discussion groups, help with set-up, sign-in, pizza distribution, crowd-organizing and clean-up. Sign up here.