Looking for an easy and rewarding way to give back to the local community this school year? Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to volunteer with Book Buddies, an in-person tutoring program focused on building literacy skills for kindergarten through third grade students at five schools in the Syracuse City School District (SCSD).
An initiative of the United Way of Central New York, the Book Buddies program was able to help 500 students with nearly 7,500 hours of reading practice in the 2023-24 school year thanks to volunteers, including Syracuse University community members.
Eboni Britt (left) with her Book Buddy (Photo courtesy of United Way)
Volunteers commit to spending between 60-120 minutes once per week with their book buddy (or buddies) at one of the five participating schools—Roberts Pre-K-8 School, Seymour Dual Language Academy, Delaware Primary, STEAM @ Dr. King Elementary or Dr. Weeks Elementary School. The volunteer acts as a cheerleader and guide, offering reading support and reminding students to use strategies for encoding, decoding and reading comprehension.
“The best part of working with Book Buddies is, of course, the students. It’s wonderful to be able to come in in the middle of a busy day and have a student that’s excited to see you,” says Eboni Britt, executive director of strategic communications and initiatives in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and a Book Buddy volunteer. “I think Book Buddies provides me with an opportunity to give back to the community in a way that’s really unique, to be able to use some of my lunch time to come over and volunteer was really perfect for me. The program is very flexible and the team and staff is very supportive.”
The five schools in the program are among the lowest performing schools in the district, with only 7.6% of students meeting state ELA (English Language Arts) standards in third grade, compared to a district average of 17%. By allowing students to practice their reading skills with a supportive adult in a positive, encouraging environment, the program helped contribute to a student growth rate of 93% (measured as the percentage of students who increased in one or more literacy skill between October 2023 and May 2024).
Football Head Coach Fran Brown (left), alongside student-athletes from the football team, volunteered at STEAM at Dr. King Elementary School to kick off the program for the 2024-25 school year. (Photo by Chuck Wainwright)
“Book Buddies has the potential to have a tremendous impact on children in our community, helping address the critical issue of reading literacy among elementary school students in Syracuse,” says Cydney Johnson ’77, G’96, vice president of community engagement and government relations. “With a small commitment of their time each week, volunteers are able to build meaningful relationships with students in the program and have a lifelong impact on their future trajectory by building literacy and confidence in their reading abilities.”
To learn more, visit CNYbookbuddies.org or if you’re ready to volunteer, go directly to the sign-up form.
