We are excited to announce that Reading Corps is now serving students in Idaho! The first tutors began training and service in August.
“This is the culmination of more than a year of work to build awareness, identify needs, and engage partners throughout the state,” says Lizzie Morris Vogt, Ampact’s director of partnership and expansion. “I can’t wait to see the impact we’ll have on schools, students, and AmeriCorps members in Idaho!”
With support from Serve Idaho, we’re aiming for 30 tutors to serve 600 students in south-central Idaho schools this year. Nineteen tutors have already begun, and they have served over 300 students since August! Trained to use methods proven to work, tutors will give K-3 students an extra boost to improve their reading skills. The extra support is needed more than ever as academic impacts of COVID-19 disruptions continue to affect students. According to 2022 The Nation’s Report Card, fewer than a third of Idaho’s fourth grade students performed at proficient levels on their reading assessments.
In late August, we held our first Corps Day in Idaho. Tutors and staff got to know each other and completed training. “Corps Day 1 was nothing less than amazing!” says Stephanie Potter, Idaho Reading Corps’ program manager. “Training went very well, and the team building was even better. It was so amazing to see how great they worked together.”
Schools in Idaho have been working hard to make up for the learning losses from the COVID-19 disruptions. In September, part of our Minnesota team traveled to Idaho to check in with tutors and visit partner schools. “We learned that our Idaho communities are close-knit and already working intentionally on supporting students’ reading skills,” Director of Reading Corps Maren Kioga says. “The fact that they were welcoming to us and excited for our programming says a lot about the kinds of tutors we’ve hired and the strength of our research and program.”
We’re still looking for another 10 people to join Idaho Reading Corps and support students in their communities. If you are interested, visit join.readingandmath.org to learn more. Apply by Thanksgiving to start in January!