Smart

SMART PROGRAM

The vision for SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) is that every child in Oregon can read and is empowered to succeed.  We strive to inspire  love of reading in Oregon's children, so that theywill go on to become lifelong reaers and lifelong learners.

To transform this vision into reality, SMART engages community volunteers to help kids become confident readers byproviding one-on-one literacy support, valuable adult mentorship and books to tkae home and keep.  Volunteers read one-on-one with PreK through 3rd grade children for one hour per week throughout the school year. SMART provides literacy support to students in more than 200 schools, pre-schools and community organizations.

Oregon's leading nonprofit early literacy organization. Thousands of adults volunteer to read one-on-one with children for half an hour. SMART serves kids who struggle with reading, need more individual attention than can be received in a classroom environment or do not have books at home or adults to read with. Every child who participates in SMART receives two new books. Since 1992 we have given away more than 2 million books and served more than 144,000 children.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress finds that more than one in three Oregon 4th graders read below below a basic level. Research shows that kids who do not learn to read by 3rd grade are more likely to struggle with reading as adults, drop out of school. be less successfully employed and face incarceration. As a SMART Reader, you can help children avoid these outcomes by steering them on a path toward academic and life success.

Volunteer as a SMART Site Coordination Team Member and help SMART continue to flourish!  Volunteer positions are available at Kalmiopsis Elementary on Tuesday and Thursday. Help run the program, job share or volunteer as part of a small team of coordinators---whatever works with your schedule! Site coordination team members are responsible for coordinating the SMART program at assigned schools, including scheduling, managing and retaining volunteer readers. The Volunteer Site Coordinators work in cooperation with the school community. For a position description go to www.getsmartoregon.org; for more information call 541-266-7476.

We are also in need of additional volunteer readers to give 1 hour per week reading with 2 students (30 minute reading blocks) from Kalmiopsis School. Students are waiting to be paired with a caring, adult reader to begin their SMART experience. If interested, you can visit the website above and follow the volunteer link to fill out an application or phone to have an application sent to you.