We are thrilled and honored to announce that July 16th has officially been declared Reading Corps Day in the places where we first got our start: the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Reading Corps President Sadie O’Connor read the signed proclamations from the governor and the mayors of both cities Tuesday morning to a crowd of AmeriCorps coaches and program managers from a dozen different states. The declarations recognize the incredible impact that Reading Corps has made thanks to our partnerships both within the state and across the country.
Commemorating 20 Years of Impact
First launched in Minnesota in 2003, Reading Corps began with the simple question: What if we could train AmeriCorps members to help students become better readers? From that idea we began with a cohort of just 24 tutors, which grew to over 180 by our fifth year and now stands at more than 2,000.
“Reading Corps was just the beginning of our story,” said O’Connor Tuesday morning. “In education, we developed Math Corps and then Early Learning Corps. But we have also expanded well beyond the classroom, harnessing the power of our AmeriCorps members to support other critical ventures through Climate Impact Corps, Recovery Corps, Public Health Corps, Resettlement Corps, Heading Home Corps, and Summer Impact Corps. It’s so exciting to imagine what we can do together in the next 20 years!”
Since 2003, Reading Corps has supported nearly half a million students across the country. Today, we are the largest high-impact tutoring program in the United States and the model has proven effective in urban, suburban and rural settings.
Expressing Our Gratitude
We are so grateful for the recognition that Reading Corps Day represents. Thank you to the state of Minnesota for investing in our mission to help students, and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul for their continued support. This honor is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone who has made Reading Corps a success over the past two decades. To all of our site partners, schools, funders, program staff, and especially the AmeriCorps members who provide the power: thank you.
You can read the full text of the proclamations below and learn more about the ways Reading Corps changes the lives of students at ReadingandMath.org.
