SMART Reading program seeks Central Oregon volunteers to read with youngsters, develop fun, crucial skill

(Update: Adding video, interview with director)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Reading is a critical skill for helping kids start, and stay, on a path to success in school and beyond. Across Oregon, students in early grades are still behind in reading skills as a result of the pandemic, which is a concern not only for educators and parents, but for the entire community.

SMART Reading, a statewide children’s literacy nonprofit, is committed to providing two key ingredients to support young readers: individualized reading support and access to books.

In the 2022-23 school year, SMART Reading successfully reopened its in-person reading programs after providing virtual support during the pandemic. Now, with the 2023-24 school underway, SMART is poised to reach over 1,050 local students and give away 14,700 books. To do that, the organization needs more community members to sign up to volunteer. 

Volunteers are needed to fill two important roles: 

• Readers who are paired with the same child or classroom weekly, sharing the joy of reading, building confidence, and helping set students up for a lifetime of success.
• Site Coordinators who act as SMART’s on-the-ground leads at each site, overseeing and implementing the weekly reading sessions.

“We are very excited to keep supporting early literacy and a love for reading for the kids in our community,” says Jennifer Zardinejad, SMART Reading Area Director in Central Oregon. “Both Volunteer Readers and Site Coordinators are the key to being able to keep our programs running.” The sites that have the highest volunteer need are Prineville Head Start, Madras Afterschool, and La Pine Elementary. 

Volunteer Readers spend an hour a week reading with kindergarten through third-grade children, and Site Coordinators spend two to eight hours each week leading the program at their site. To learn more about this fun and rewarding experience, please contact your local SMART office at 541-797-7726, or visit www.SMARTReading.org. 

About SMART Reading

SMART Reading is a statewide children’s literacy nonprofit that serves kids in Oregon’s highest need schools and communities with two ingredients critical for literacy and learning success: shared reading time and access to books. We mobilize volunteers to read with PreK through third-grade children, building confidence, literacy skills and a love of reading. Since 1992, we have paired over 147,000 volunteers to read with 373,000 children, and have put over 4 million books in the homes of the children we serve. Visit www.SMARTReading.org or call 541-797-7726 to learn more.