The Be A Reader literacy program kicked off the 2017-2018 school year with a welcome breakfast and meeting on Monday, Sept. 18 for nearly 50 new and returning volunteers.
Gail Flax, program chair and founder, spoke about the program and BeAR captains talked about their experiences and best practices.
“We have wonderful kids, and you will just fall in love with them,” said Lynnhaven Elementary BeAR captain and parent Demetrious Gooden. “They want to learn, they want to read. You’ve just got to love kids.”
Be A Reader, commonly referred to as BEAR, is a literacy program through United Jewish Federation of Tidewater’s Community Relations Council. BEAR’s main goal is to help at-risk second grade students in Tidewater public schools acquire the reading skills they need for future success. Each week, volunteers read one-on-one for an hour with a child at one of the participating schools.
For more information on BEAR, including ways to get involved, contact Wendy Weissman at wweissman@ujft.org or 757-965-6107.