High school students from Ursuline College Chatham are helping younger children improve their reading skills through a partnership with the Chatham-Kent Public Library in Chatham, Ontario. This initiative pairs older students in grades 9 through 12 with children in grades 1 to 6 to practice reading together, typically for 45–60 minutes each week.
The program, run by the Chatham-Kent Public Library in partnership with Ursuline College Chatham’s Guidance Department, helps younger students build confidence while practicing their literacy skills in a relaxed environment. For the high school volunteers, these sessions can be used to help meet the 40 hours of community involvement required by the Ontario Ministry of Education to graduate.
These one-on-one sessions take place at the Chatham Branch on Queen Street and typically run in six-week blocks throughout the school year. Before they begin, student volunteers must finish a one-hour training session to learn how to best support their younger partners and prepare for their weekly reading meetings.
