Project READ is an Adult Literacy Program in Reading and Math located on the second floor of the Decatur Public Library.
Over 3,500 adults in Macon County have less than a ninth grade education. Many of these adults do not have the reading skills needed to get a GED. They can't read well enought to qualify for a job that pays a living wage and aren't able to read to their children or help them with their school work. Motivated adults come to Project READ to improve their reading and math skills. They want to change their lives.
To get started on the path to a brighter future, call Project READ coordinator Julie Pangrac at (217) 423-7323 or e-mail jpangrac@richland.edu.
About Project READ
Our Mission
To provide free, volunteer-based literacy education to adults.
Our Students
Our students, who range in age from 17 to 79, read below the 9th grade level. Some are referred by partnering agencies, some by family or friends. Many of our students have “faked it” for years, having memorized hundreds of small words. Some have several years of high school, but cannot read the newspaper or a map. They do not read well enough to get a GED, travel out of town, or fill out a job application. They are not able to read to their children or help them with their school work. They may lack self confidence and self-worth.
What our students do have is the desire to improve their reading skills. They want to change their lives.
But they can’t do it alone or in a classroom with others. They need one-on-one tutoring in a non-threatening environment. They need encouragement, instant feedback, and materials that train them to read independently.
How Our Program Works
Project READ is a grant-funded program which provides free, volunteer based literacy education for adults in Decatur. We do an extensive evaluation with each student to discover his or her strengths and weaknesses.
Project READ trains volunteers to work one-on-one with motivated students in a confidential, safe, and success-oriented setting. Training consists of two 3-hour classes, with a tutor handbook, practice sessions and questions & answers session. A staff member will always be available to help tutors when they work with students.
We provide easy to use phonics-based materials based on scientific research about how the brain processes language and on-site supervision to facilitate each lesson. We have seen amazing progress in our students as they work through the materials.
Most of our tutors meet their students at the Decatur Public Library, although other locations are available. Project READ works as a team: Our staff, our tutors and our students. The number of students we can help depends on the number of trained volunteers we have.
What You Can Do To Help
- Volunteer to tutor a student for one hour a week.
- Refer adults who want to improve their reading and/or math skills. After an interview and assessment, we help students meet their goals with individualized plans of instruction.
- Support literacy with financial donations to Project READ so we can help more students.
- Schedule a representative from Project READ to speak to a group.
- Put your special interests to work; we need all kinds of talents to run our program.
- Tell others about Project READ and how important it is to our community to increase adult reading skills. Ask us for brochures and information.
Volunteers
The number of students in our program can help depends on how many trained volunteers we have. Become a Project READ tutor and help change a life.
You don't need any special skills or experience. After tutor training, you will be matched with a student. You will work with that student for one or two hours each week, at a time convenient to you. Training continues as you watch us tutor, we watch you tutor, and we give you whatever help you want. We will not leave you with a student until you are comfortable. We provide easy-to-use materials, support, and answers to your questions when you are tutoring.
Call (217) 423-7323 to enroll in the next training session. You can make a difference!
