United Way of the Midlands Reading Consortium seeking new AmeriCorps members
Columbia, S.C. (July 15, 2021) – United Way of the Midlands is actively looking for new members to serve as AmeriCorps Midlands Reading Consortium (MRC) School Liaisons for the August 2021-July 2022 term.
MRC is a volunteer tutoring initiative targeting prekindergarten to second grade students who are not reading on grade level. The program is a partnership between United Way of the Midlands and 27 Midlands elementary schools across Richland, Lexington, Newberry, Fairfield and Orangeburg counties.
In this role, AmeriCorps members enroll prekindergarten to second grade students in one-to-one reading engagement sessions with district approved volunteers, engage parents about the importance of reading at home, increase home libraries through book distribution, and promote literacy through general outreach and community engagement in Richland and Lexington counties.
“The commitment and dedication of our AmeriCorps members is crucial to the success of the MRC initiative, especially as we began offering a virtual tutoring component during the pandemic,” said Christina Thomas, MRC AmeriCorps Program Manager.
During the 2020-2021 school year, all eight of United Way’s MRC AmeriCorps members combined dedicated 13,600 service hours, distributed 14,696 books and engaged 1,995 students through all virtual initiatives.
“Through direct service, you’re able to work with like-minded people in the community to leave a lasting impact,” said Deja Vaughn, 2020-2021 AmeriCorps MRC School Liaison. “Recognizing the community’s disparities teaches you to be grateful and helps you look within. I’m grateful for my experience as an AmeriCorps member.”
Some additional benefits of being an AmeriCorps member are access to trainings on Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and having the potential to earn an Education Award up to $6,345.
To learn more about being an AmeriCorps Midlands Reading Consortium School Liaison or to apply, please visit www.uway.org/americorps.
Interested in volunteering 30 minutes a week with MRC? The program is actively recruiting volunteers to serve as MRC tutors. To learn how to get involved, please visit volunteer.uway.org/mrc.
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About United Way of the Midlands
United Way of the Midlands is the most collaborative, efficient and accountable model for investing in the improvement of the Midlands community. With nearly 65 Community Impact Partners, United Way works to identify and respond to the critical human service needs of Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland counties. Funds are raised through workplace campaigns, grant writing and individual donations and are directed to fight for causes including childhood literacy, economic mobility and dental and eye care for those without resources. For more information, please visit uway.org.
About Midlands Reading Consortium
Midlands Reading Consortium is a partnership between United Way of the Midlands, local colleges, community partners, faith-based entities and local school districts in Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, and Richland counties. Tutors focus on improving language skills and reading proficiency to close the achievement gap. Since MRC was founded in 2007, tutors have helped more than 7,000 students. The program has been placed into over 25 schools and after school programs across the Midlands and continues to grow. For more information, please visit uway.org/mrc.