Mission Statement
Everybody Wins! Iowa is a nonprofit and our mission is to increase children's success in school and life through one-to-one reading and mentoring experiences with caring volunteers. Our signature program is Power Read, where volunteer reading mentors are matched one-to-one with a student for about an hour each week and together they read and engage in conversation. Programs take place during the school year during breakfast, lunch, after-school, evening, or Saturday morning sessions primarily at community schools or through community organizations (churches or agencies). Students are suggested for our program by teachers based on three areas: students struggling with reading, are English language learners, or they might benefit from having a reading mentor. These consistent, positive interactions aim to provide students with a dependable role model who works to strengthen their confidence with regard to reading. Each week mentors and students talk, read, and bond over books with the hope of instilling a positive attitude about reading to our students. The mentors serve as role models, enhancing students' self-esteem and encouraging their success through these consistent, weekly, positive interactions. Everybody Wins! Iowa complements the education students receive in the classroom by providing a safe, low-pressure environment to practice their reading skills and grow their confidence outside of the classroom. Our program's simple equation-one mentor, one child, one book at a time-produces powerful results.
Our core values are Empowerment, to boost children's self esteem through increased reading proficiency and mentoring. Community, to engage caring local volunteers as mentors and Collaboration, to engage as many groups as to help us achieve our mission. Our principles are that education has value, youth development is important for our communities and that volunteerism should be encouraged and promoted. We achieve results by seeking organizations that allow us to host programs where there is a need, leverage those connections to gain volunteers and build on our successes.
