When you put up to 25 elementary school kids and up to 25 teens in a library after a long day at school, the scene could easily erupt into chaos. At Team Read, however, thanks to our dedicated Site Coordinators, it’s a scene of hard work, learning, and laughter.
At each of our program sites, a Site Coordinator welcomes our readers and coaches, and keeps the program running smoothly. Often, these Site Coordinators are teachers, reading specialists, or librarians in our partner schools, and the wisdom and insight they offer makes our program even stronger.
“Our Site Coordinators are the heart and soul of our program,” says Executive Director Melissa Pailthorp. “Since they’re so often working during the day with our readers and perhaps even taught our teens when they were young, they are instrumental to building community connection. We’re lucky that some of our Site Coordinators have been with us for years and truly understand how to guide the teens so well.”
The role of Site Coordinator involves being organized and quick on one’s feet. These talented educators arrive early, often running straight from a classroom of their own, to set the scene up for success. After preparing coaches and greeting readers, they offer support and guidance as our Powerful Pairs get to work. Within the space of an hour, Site Coordinators make magic happen.
Lead Site Coordinator Sandy Gunder tells us, “Team Read is forever grateful to our wonderful site coordinators who run Team Read programming twice a week. They ensure teen coaches are following our curriculum, leading their readers through word work and supporting their reading. We are already seeing reading levels increase and we witness their positive impact on our teens and elementary students.”
Thank you, Site Coordinators for being an integral part of Team Read!