On Wednesday, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Board Member and Fidelity Investments’ Leean Kravitz talked about ABQ Reads’ mission and its need for donations and volunteers on KOB 4.
The program, which is under the GACC, aims to boost literacy achievement among young readers in Albuquerque.
Kravitz said the program has more than 100 volunteer tutors but the need far outstrips the supply, and more people are needed to serve more students.
Back in 1984, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce established the Career Guidance Institute (CGI) and its Albuquerque Reads program in response to the business community’s desire to help shape education reform in the city and state. ABQ Reads’ primary mission is to boost literacy achievement among struggling young readers in Albuquerque. And in 2003, kindergarteners at Bel Air Elementary became the first group to receive literacy tutoring from Albuquerque Reads volunteers.
The program currently serves three Albuquerque Public Schools elementaries — Whittier, Bel-Air and Atrisco.
The program delivers 90 minutes each week of personalized literacy tutoring for each kindergarten and first-grade Title I student in the program.
It also supplies every student in the program with up to 20 books for their at-home library.
To become a tutor (you can do it weekly or join a team to make it once a month), check out ABQReads.com.