Call to action: Become a read to succeed volunteer literacy tutor/mentor

Volunteers trained to work 1:1 with struggling young students to improve their reading skills

Read to Succeed press release 

With the end of the current school year around the corner, Read to Succeed (RTS) is once again recruiting new volunteers from Erie and Niagara counties to serve as tutor/mentors this fall through the organization’s high-impact tutoring program known as AARP Foundation Experience Corps.

Since October 2025, 137 current tutor/mentors have provided 11,000 individual tutoring sessions to more than 400 first, second and third graders in Niagara Falls and Buffalo City Schools.

The Experience Corps program has served struggling young students in the Buffalo Public Schools since 2016 and expanded to Niagara Falls in 2025. Twelve Niagara Falls volunteer tutor/mentors are providing one-on-one tutoring to 36 first and second graders at Bloneva Bond Elementary School. This fall, the goal is to double tutoring services by expanding to third graders in partnership with Harry F. Abate Elementary School. Teachers and RTS literacy coaches identify students who are just below grade-level in reading for participation in the one-on-one tutoring.

Read to Succeed is looking to recruit 10 new volunteer tutor/mentors for Niagara Falls and 20 for Buffalo. Those interested in becoming a part of the solution by helping a struggling young child master the mechanics of reading can visit https://www.readtosucceedbuffalo.org/volunteer-interest-form to get more information and complete an interest form.

“The science of reading dictates that children need to have mastered the basic mechanics of reading by the end of third grade – if they are to be able to read to learn, read for content, in fourth grade and beyond. Unfortunately, far too many of our children, particularly economically disadvantaged children, are not mastering these skills according to NYS third grade ELA assessment data,” Read to Succeed Executive Director Anne Ryan said. “High-impact tutoring provides struggling students with explicit, systematic practice with reading focused on increasing vocabulary, fluency and comprehension at age-appropriate levels.”

Stan Wojton, superintendent elect for Niagara Falls City Schools, said, “After receiving the results of the pilot program and the feedback from staff and volunteers, it was a no-brainer to expand the Experience Corps program to serve more students in our community. Implementing High-impact tutoring practices helps provide that extra, personalized support some of our students need to develop the skills they require to read at grade level by the end of third grade.”

Experience Corps, a partnership between Read to Succeed and the National AARP Foundation, recruits, trains and supports mature older adult volunteers to provide one-on-one literacy tutoring for children who are not reading at grade-level in first, second and third grade.

Sessions are structured and focus on building fluency, vocabulary and comprehension skills in students through repeated reading practice and models of fluent reading. Pre-K and K tutor/mentors are trained to focus on developing preliteracy skills such as alphabet knowledge, phonics and phonemic awareness. Experience Corps strategies and materials are all based on the science of reading, and all tutor/mentors receive significant training and school-based support from Read to Succeed literacy coaches.

For those interested in learning more about the Experience Corps program, RTS is hosting three additional information sessions.

•Wednesday, May 13, 1 p.m., at the Frank E. Merriweather Jr. Library, 1324 Jefferson Ave, Buffalo

•Thursday, May 14, 10 a.m., at the Roswell Park Community Outreach and Engagement Center, 907 Michigan Ave., Buffalo

•Tuesday, May 19, 1 p.m., at the Earl W. Brydges Main Library, 1425 Main St., Niagara Falls

Visit https://www.readtosucceedbuffalo.org/volunteer-interest-form to sign up.

For more information, visit www.readtosucceedbuffalo.org.