Power Read
From kindergarten through third grade, students are learning to read.
But after third grade, they must read to learn.
Once they fall behind, it’s nearly impossible to catch up.
Power Read is a literacy and mentoring program that pairs volunteers and elementary school students to read together on a weekly basis. Everybody Wins! Iowa and United Way of Central Iowa are partnering to provide reading and mentoring experiences to children who might not have one-on-one attention from an adult.
Power Read’s ultimate goal? To increase children’s chances of success in school and in life.
By sharing just 30 minutes a week of your time, you can change a child's future!
Sign up to be a Power Reader!
Power Read orientation sessions for summer are complete. Fall reading will begin mid-to-late September.
Fill out the form below if you are interested in impacting youth. We will reach out to you as soon as fall orientation dates are scheduled.
The majority of students served by Power Read are struggling readers facing many barriers and may come from homes where English is not the primary language spoken. Power Read is an opportunity for these students to practice reading and develop literacy skills with a caring adult outside the classroom.
Why is Power Read important?
Reading proficiently by third grade is the most important predictor of high school graduation and later career success.
Students who are behind in reading by the end of third grade are four times more likely to not graduate from high school.
Among U.S. adults with only basic reading skills, 51 percent are unemployed.
Two-thirds of students who cannot read proficiently by the end of fourth grade will end up in jail or on welfare. Source: National Center of Educational Statistics
How does Power Read work?
Each week, mentors meet their students at school to spend time talking and reading together. The program often takes place during the lunch period at school, but some Power Read sites offer programs before school, after school or in the evening.
The sessions are held each week at the same time and on the same day and usually last about 30 minutes.
Volunteer training, grade-level appropriate books and literacy kits designed by reading experts are provided.
Children from
low-income households hear 30,000,000
(that's not a typo... 30 million!)
fewer words by age 3 than their middle-class peers.
Power Read is a part of READ to SUCCEED, United Way of Central Iowa’s multiyear campaign to increase third-grade reading proficiency in central Iowa to 90 percent by the year 2020.
Power Read and the READ to SUCCEED campaign are two key initiatives meant to help the community achieve United Way of Central Iowa's education goals for the year 2020.
