As schools across Allen County open their doors for a new academic year, a quiet but powerful movement is already underway: Volunteer tutors are stepping up to help children learn to read.

Project Reads, our longstanding afterschool reading program, is seeing its highest-ever tutor return rate — 89 volunteers have already committed to returning this year, representing 80% of last year’s volunteer force.

And we’re not surprised. This program works.

In the past year alone, 70% of our participating students reached grade-level reading benchmarks — a 19% improvement over the previous year. This is a direct result of consistent one-on-one attention, intentional instruction, and the power of positive relationships.

But the impact goes beyond test scores. Students report feeling more confiden

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