YMCA Reads!

About YMCA Reads!

YMCA Reads! is an after-school reading program that operates in 33 Title-1 schools across the State of Florida. The program serves students reading below grade level in Kindergarten through fourth-grade. The program is categorized as a mentorship program, relying on trained volunteers to work with at-risk and low-income children to remediate their reading skills.

The mission of YMCA Reads! is to enable at-risk and disadvantaged children in Kindergarten through fourth-grade to increase their reading skills through structured after-school reading instruction and mentoring. This early intervention program improves students’ reading skills through mentoring and the use of a research-based, data-driven curriculum. It also helps students achieve or maintain satisfactory school attendance and behavior, both essential ingredients to school success.

The YMCA Reads! program successfully closes the achievement gap in students’ reading performance with structured curricula delivered by well-trained mentors. The YMCA Reads! the program provides differentiated reading instruction to students through small group tutoring/mentoring. Mentoring enhances academic achievement through relationship building and increased academic self-esteem from learning to read.

Currently, the program operates in 33 public schools, with 10 participating YMCAs in 13 counties in Florida. YMCA Reads! is implemented in partnership with the Florida State Alliance of YMCA’s Foundation, Inc. and the local YMCA’s in Florida. Funding for YMCA Reads! comes from The Department of Education and the participating YMCA’s.

For more information about YMCA Reads!, please contact Katie Croland at katie@floridaymcas.org.