Be an ONLINE Study Zone READING BUDDY and help students get the academic support they need!

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Help students access academic support they need! Volunteer to be an online Study Zone Plus Reading Buddy!

Study Zone Plus provides multiple online academic supports for K-12 students via Zoom and we need dedicated volunteers to help us host our programs.

We currently are most in need of volunteers for Reading Buddies on Tuesdays or Wednesdays 6:30-7:30pm and Mondays or Thursdays 4-5pm.

Reading Buddy duties include:

• Share eBooks on screen and navigate through the pages as students read. A KCLS librarian rotates the book selection ever two weeks.
• Coach 1-2 students at a time on pronunciation, pace, comprehension, etc. Students are paired by reading level.
• Keep track of student reading time. When the program is full and more students are waiting, a 30-minute limit will be implemented.

Reading Buddy Rover (Rover RB) duties include:

• Take overflow students when our main breakout rooms reach capacity.
• Substitute in a breakout room when those volunteers are absent or have technical difficulties.
• Sit in or move from room to room observing and acting as extra eyes and ears for the KCLS librarian on duty.
• Convey messages between breakout rooms and the Zoom lobby or library staff.

Most Reading Buddies begin as a Rover RB. This system provides new volunteers additional training and experience while in the Rover role and creates a built-in substitute pool to maintain staffing levels each day. Study Zone Plus sessions are 1-hour long and volunteers log in 15 minutes before their shift starts.

King County Library System volunteers must be Washington State residents and pass a WA State Patrol background check. Study Zone Reading Buddies online must be at least 16 years or an adult. Applications to be a Study Zone tutor are accepted throughout the year. Training and support provided.

Apply to be an In-Person Study Zone Tutor: http://bttr.im/l7irm

The 2-hour weekly commitment is through the end of each session, depending on when you begin (February-June, July-August, September-January). The program is closed during school holidays/vacations (except spring break) and for two weeks at the beginning and end of summer. Academic community service credit is available for students. Schedules vary at each library and new days/locations are being added; please contact the program coordinator for possible schedules at the libraries in your area. If your preferred library is currently full, you can volunteer at a nearby location or in the online Zoom program. Study Zone programs are offered as a free service of the King County Library System.

What Study Zone volunteers say about the in-library version of our service:

"Being a Study Zone tutor has been very fulfilling. I love to work with kids, helping them become more confident in school. The best thing about Study Zone for me has been seeing students happy when they finish their homework, as well as being a role model for them."

"Study Zone has given me the opportunity to help students, like me, in a meaningful way. It's nice knowing that you changed a little bit of someone's life."

"I really enjoyed making a connection with my students. This is an incredible program, and I am happy to have been a volunteer for the KCLS library system."