Making a Difference by Reading

Education Connection has been making a difference in the lives of 2,853 students, across 104 schools in the Greater Austin area. How? By helping elementary children practice reading.

The Mission of Education Connection is simple, straightforward, and achievable... every child reading by the end of 3rd grade. This mission came from one question from the church community to city leaders in 2009: what can we do to make a lasting impact in our city? The answer was simple: support children's literacy and decrease school dropout rates. It was discovered that 88% of students who failed to earn a high school diploma were struggling readers in the 3rd grade. Education Connection is raising up volunteers to help combat this alarming statistic.

The reality is that teachers and parents don't always have the available, extra time to practice reading with struggling children. Literacy partners (Education Connection volunteers), help support the student, school and family by spending 30 minutes a week in a one-on-one reading session.

Ami Uselman, the Round Rock ISD Library Services Director has seen first-hand how Literacy Partners are impacting students. "When a student knows that someone cares and is consistently there for them, then they start building that self-esteem and their whole attitude about reading improves because it becomes something that's fun and motivating."

For the past 10 years, New Hopers have participated in Education Connection, serving in the school of their choosing, to not only help grow a child's reading skills, but also grow their confidence. With Education Connection reaching 104 schools out of the 250 in the Greater Austin area, there is always a need for more Literacy Partners. We invite you to be a part of truly impacting a child's life!