Dr. Naima Ricks is the managing director of partnerships and growth in Newark for Reading Partners, a national nonprofit founded over 25 years ago that is committed to creating equitable access to literacy education for students across the country. Volunteers can sign up at readingpartners.org/volunteer-in-newark/. 

America is facing a literacy crisis. Just 31 percent of 4th graders are proficient readers, according to the Nation’s Report Card. The average reading score continues to decline five years after the pandemic, and the students performing the worst are dropping the fastest.

In New Jersey, our fourth-graders are reading above the national average, but the state has wide achievement gaps between white students and children of color. 

Our country has many issues to address, but the literacy crisis is one of its largest. When children develop strong reading skills, they are better equipped to become engaged citizens and contribute to economic growth in the future.

As the Newark-based managing director of partnerships and growth for Reading Partners, I recognize the tremendous potential in our schools to enhance literacy skills. With the proper support and resources, we can empower educators and students to thrive in addressing the current literacy challenges. Our team at Reading Partners provides programs that connect tutors with young students striving to read at grade level. Almost 90 percent of students achieve their individualized reading growth goals every year, and the success rate is higher for students in kindergarten through second grade.

Earlier this year, Reading Partners joined with nonprofit funder GreenLight Fund Greater Newark to bring our successful tutoring programs to one New Jersey community that needs support. According to the 2023 New Jersey State Learning Assessments (NJSLA) exam, only 23 percent of students in Newark are reading at grade level. 

We are excited to start recruiting tutors in Newark to help improve the outcomes for the city’s youth. Over the next four years, our goal is to deliver personalized literacy instruction both in person and online to 4,500 students. In addition, we will facilitate family literacy workshops for 3,700 families. 

We will succeed with the support of countless volunteers. In our experience, volunteers tell us they feel confident that they are making a difference and overwhelmingly say they form warm, pride-filled relationships with their students. 

One tutor recently told us, “I saw in real time an ‘Aha!’ moment in my student. It was like a switch flipped and she read 30 pages to me after struggling/guessing during our previous sessions….She looked up at me at the end with such pride, surprise, and joy that tears came to my eyes. I said, ‘Your whole life has now changed. A new world has opened. Reading changes everything.’” 

The good news is that volunteering is increasing, up by five percent in 2023 compared to two years earlier. Whether you’re tutoring, coaching sports teams, or volunteering at a hospital, community service is good for everyone.

Research from the National Institutes of Health found that volunteers have better health outcomes and overall well-being. Volunteering can lead to feeling more connected to one’s community. The Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy has documented that volunteers are more likely to join and donate to community groups or organizations than those who don’t volunteer. 

Volunteers can do big things.

Reading Partners volunteers work with educators to help build a better future for children and reverse the historic disparities in educational opportunity. New Jersey residents have the chance to invest in a city that needs their support. They can work in-person or online from home to address the literacy crisis that 4,500 students are living with every day. Volunteers will develop a sense of belonging, create friendships, and experience the rewards of helping others. This fosters empathy and strengthens communities, supporting all members during difficult times.

It’s true that volunteers are not the only solution to addressing our country’s most intractable challenges, such as early literacy. But while the nation’s leaders are refining priorities and inevitably turning one eye to the next election cycle, don’t overlook the immediate power of volunteers to shake up the status quo and help chart a better path forward.