The Americorp Program is well established and finding success in Duchesne County. The program utilizes volunteers who serve as reading mentors to students in the public education system. “This is a reading program that works with kids that fall in the middle category,” explains Americorp coordinator Rauni Guffey. The middle category are kids that do not qualify for special services for reading but who are falling below their grade level benchmark. The volunteers work with the students on fluency and comprehension to help the kids reach their grade reading level. Guffey says the program has a great success rate in Duchesne County explaining that of 45 kids in the program last year, only 3 needed to return this year. The rest had caught up to grade level. “The volunteers get as much of a payback out of this as the kids do,” says Guffey. “We would love to see this implemented throughout the entire Basin.” The program is free and runs using local volunteers. Guffey invites anyone interested in helping the program to spread to Uintah County schools to call
725-4665
and ask to be connected with Rauni Guffey with Americorp.
