Join Read to a Child's Greater Boston Board!

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Regional Board of Directors - Greater Boston area opportunity

Read to a Child regional boards are groups of dynamic leaders in their communities who are dedicated to Read to a Child’s mission and to helping expand the reach of the local program. Regional board members advise and support local staff in all fundraising efforts. To support the organization, board members raise the profile of Read to a Child by engaging other corporate and community leaders, as well as major donors. The Greater Boston regional board is led by Chair Jason DeMarzo, a former volunteer and strong advocate for the program. Member terms are two years, and renewable by mutual reflection and agreement .

What is Read to a Child?

Read to a Child is a national literacy and mentoring non-profit that fosters a love of reading, improves literacy skills and supports socio-emotional well-being in students from under-resourced communities. Read to a Child partners with thousands of community and corporate volunteer mentors from more than 150 local businesses and organizations who read one-on-one to elementary students at under-resourced schools in the greater metropolitan areas of Boston, Detroit, Hartford, Los Angeles and Miami. Our premier program is our Read Aloud Mentoring Program. In Read to a Child’s Read Aloud Mentoring Program, an adult is partnered one-on-one with a student attending one of our partner elementary schools for a rewarding, weekly read aloud experience. The relationship lasts for the entire school year and often extends for multiple years through the end of fourth grade. Reading pairs are supported by an on-site Program Coordinator, employed by Read to a Child, and are provided access to a wide selection of diverse, quality books to read. Most recently, Read to a Child has added a virtual component to the program, enabling mentors and children to connect online via Zoom or Google Meets using a digital library.

Responsibilities of regional board members are as follows:

• Make a meaningful annual personal contribution to support local programming. Boston Regional Board Members commit to personally contributing $1,000 or more each year.
• Raise significant funds to support Read to a Child programming each year. Boston Regional Board Members commit to securing $2,500 or more in contributions each year.
• Act as an advocate and community representative for Read to a Child.
• Attend regional board meetings to advise Read to a Child staff on fundraising and visibility plans, and organizational business.
• Make recommendations on prospective regional (or national) board members.
• Participate as a Read Aloud Mentor if at all possible or visit a program site with local Read to a Child staff at least once per year.
• Encourage employer to support the program by providing volunteers, annual contributions or grants and by supporting fundraising events.
• Allow Read to a Child to use his or her name, title and company affiliation on the Read to a Child website, social media and publicity materials.

Why Read to a Child?

The simple act of reading aloud to a child once a week, over time, can have a profound impact on the child’s future. The Read Aloud Mentoring Program also offers the adult a convenient, joyful, and meaningful way to give back. Read to a Child’s model is based on the premise that a love of reading is a driver of opportunity for children throughout their lifetime. A caring connection with a reading mentor helps to facilitate the attention, engagement, and confidence that all children need to thrive.

Reading aloud is known to be the single most powerful way to promote strong reading skills in children. According to the landmark 1985 report Becoming a Nation of Readers , "Reading aloud is the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading."

According to a study by Berk L.E. of Pearson Education, Inc. (2009), "When adults read to children, discussing story content, asking open-ended questions about story events, explaining the meaning of words, and pointing out features of print, they promote increased language development, comprehension of story content, knowledge of story structure, and a better understanding of language - all of which lead to literacy success."

Who are we serving?

Read to a Child serves grade K-4 students at Title 1 elementary schools who have been recommended for the program by their teachers. In Greater Boston, we serve students in 17 schools across the region, where on average 59% of third grade students are not meeting English-Language Arts expectations. Read to Child’s current school partners across the country consist of, on average, 79% students from low income households as well as 47% Latino/a, 36% Black, and 3% AAPI students.

Our commitment to diversity

Read to a Child is committed to providing resources to children most impacted by systemic inequalities. We have faith in our students’ ability to thrive and choose to focus on their strengths rather than the barriers they face. We are continuously motivated to act on our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion among reading mentors, staff, and board members so as to best reflect and support the students we serve. We believe that varied perspectives and backgrounds create a rich work environment and enhance our ability to pursue our mission. Join us as we continue to build an organization that fosters a work environment where people from all backgrounds are welcomed and valued.