Help a Child Learn to Read! Volunteer today for Schools of Hope!

Education is the cornerstone of individual and community success. It is essential for finding and keeping a job with a livable wage and health benefits. Reading is a core building block of education and vital for mastering the skills necessary to thrive.

Too many of our children are failing, and there is evidence of a wide achievement gap. Research shows third-grade reading proficiency is a powerful predictor of later academic achievement.

Children who have not mastered reading skills by this critical juncture continue to fall further behind in school and are much more susceptible to academic and behavioral problems.

Schools of Hope is an early intervention model for children who are struggling with reading. The core components of the program include one-to-one literacy tutoring, volunteer recruitment and training and family engagement.

United Way of the Wine Country, in partnership with the Volunteer Center of Sonoma County, local school districts and several community organizations, launched Schools of Hope in the fall of 2010. Our goal is to increase the percentage of third graders reading at grade level from 49% to 75% by 2015.

Become a tutor and make a difference in a child's life in as little as 30 minutes a week!

For more information about Schools of Hope, visit: www.unitedwaywinecountry.org. You can register for an upcoming orientation at http://vcsc.volunteereasy.com or by reaching out to Erica Dolcini at the Volunteer Center at 707.573.3399 x121 or edolcini@volunteernow.org.

For those interested in volunteering as a Schools of Hope Tutor, you must attend ONE of the following orientations:

Petaluma Library- 100 Fairgrounds Dr., Petaluma, CA 94952
November 7th, 12:00-1:30pm
January 8th, 1:30-3:00pm

Santa Rosa at Volunteer Center- 153 Stony Point Rd., Santa Rosa, CA 95401
November 13th 1:30-3:00pm
December 5th 1:30-3:00pm
January 8th, 8:30-10:00am

Guerneville Library- 14107 Armstrong Woods Rd., Guerneville, CA 95446
November 19th, 1:30-3:00pm
January 9th, 10:30-12:00pm

Cloverdale Library- 401 N Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale, CA 95425
December 11th, 10:30-12:00pm
January 9th, 1:30-3:00pm

Rohnert Park Library- 6250 Lynne Conde Way, Rohnert Park Expressway / State Farm Drive, Rohnert Park, CA 94928
December 12th, 1:30-3:00pm
January 7th, 10:30-12:00pm