Funding will support 100 AmeriCorps members to serve across Delaware and fuel expansion to Pennsylvania 

87% of Reading Assist Students Reach Benchmarks During 2022-23 School Year 

New Castle, Delaware – Reading Assist, joined by Delaware Governor John Carney, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith, and Delaware Department of Education Secretary Mark Holodick, announced today that it received a $1.3 million grant from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. The grant, which will total $3.9 million over three years, will expand Reading Assist’s presence in Delaware, where it has been using the AmeriCorps model to provide high-impact tutoring support to struggling readers since 2015. The grant will also support Reading Assist’s expansion to Chester, Pennsylvania, marking the first time the organization will serve students outside Delaware.  

Additionally, Reading Assist is the first Delaware-based program to receive AmeriCorps national direct funding, which is funding reserved for programs that operate across multiple states.  

“National recognition from AmeriCorps of Reading Assist’s success is proof our program – and the national service model – is an effective solution to address the literacy gap and support struggling young readers,” said Reading Assist CEO Caroline O’Neal. “Through strong partnerships with the Department of Education here in Delaware, and support from Governor Carney, Senator Coons, and AmeriCorps, Reading Assist is supporting more students than ever before, accelerating their learning, and helping to solve our nation’s literacy crisis. We’re excited to replicate the success we’ve seen for our Delaware students in Pennsylvania this summer and fall.” 

Reading Assist, the largest AmeriCorps program in Delaware, has worked closely with the governor’s office, Delaware Department of Education, school districts, and charter schools in the last two years to ramp up high-impact tutoring support for struggling readers and accelerating their learning in response to lagging literacy scores due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

During the 2022-23 school year, Reading Assist worked with 661 students – all readers who scored in the lowest 20% nationally for reading proficiency at the start of the school year. 87% of students who worked with a Reading Assist Fellow for at least 3 months reached benchmarks in foundational reading skills, with some students gaining 17 months of learning during the 9 ½-month school year.  

“There is nothing more important than ensuring all Delawareans can read at grade level by third grade. Because after you learn to read, you read to learn. Programs like Reading Assist empower our children and open many doors,” said Governor Carney. “Thanks to AmeriCorps for their investment in our students and for all of the AmeriCorps members for their commitment to our community.” 

“I’m so proud that Delaware’s AmeriCorps initiatives have become the model for other states to use,” said U.S. Senator Chris Coons. “As co-chair of the National Service Congressional Caucus, I understand just how much national service programs like AmeriCorps help our society thrive, and this funding will help AmeriCorps continue its run of success by helping more Delawareans discover the joys and opportunities of literacy.” 

AmeriCorps State and National, a federal-state partnership with a central role for Governor-appointed State Service Commissions, develops and implements state-specific national service programs. These grants allow organizations to recruit, train and supervise AmeriCorps members who are providing services to support education, disaster services, health, environmental stewardship, economic opportunity and service to veterans and military families.    

“I’m proud to announce that AmeriCorps has approved a $1.3 million investment to support 100 members for Reading Assist, marking the first time a Delaware program has received national direct funding,” said AmeriCorps CEO Michael D. Smith. “These AmeriCorps grants—and our State and National program—prioritize how important it is to give local organizations the tools to solve local challenges. This investment further strengthens partnerships with a thriving network of local, state and national organizations. These evidence-backed programs are creating lasting change in underserved communities while giving more Americans an opportunity to serve.” 

For children with significant reading struggles, early intervention and intensive reading support are key components to their success. High-impact tutoring has been found to be one of the most effective interventions for fostering reading growth in all students, particularly in low-income students and students of color, two of Reading Assist’s priority student populations.    

“We are grateful for this recognition and the grant, which will allow us to partner with Reading Assist to support high-dosage reading tutoring across Delaware starting this summer. Helping students become strong readers is essential for their success in school and life. The earlier we can provide support the better the outcomes,” said Secretary of Education Mark Holodick. 

With this new funding, Reading Assist will leverage the skills and experience of AmeriCorps members to bring much-needed reading tutoring into the standard school day at schools throughout Delaware and in Chester, PA.  

Reading Assist looks forward to its new partnership with Chester Upland School District, where there are many children who are in need of intensive reading support. Reading Assist also looks forward to working with PennSERVE to grow its AmeriCorps presence in the region, especially as there are no other AmeriCorps programs currently serving Chester, PA.  

About Reading Assist   

Reading Assist is a nonprofit organization that provides year-round high-dosage tutoring services to at-risk children across Delaware with the most significant reading challenges. Since its inception, Reading Assist has helped thousands of readers across Delaware acquire critical reading over the course of one academic year, changing the trajectory of these learners’ lives. To help students reach reading proficiency, Reading Assist recruits and trains AmeriCorps members – known as Reading Assist Fellows – to deliver its accredited one-on-one reading program to students in Delaware’s highest-needs schools.   

To learn more about Reading Assist, including how to get tutors to serve in your school or to serve as a tutor, visit our website at www.readingassist.org or contact us at 302-425-4080.