SitStayRead

Cause Area

  • Animals
  • Children & Youth
  • Community
  • Education & Literacy

Location

Southside & WestsideChicago, IL 60657 United States

Website:

http://www.sitstayread.org
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Website:
http://www.sitstayread.org
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Organization Information

Mission Statement

Our mission is to advance children's literacy and builds confidence in young readers by using an engaging curriculum incorporating on social-emotional learning enriched by Certified Reading Assistance Dogs.

Description

We were founded in 2003 at Sulzer Library in Lincoln Square as a community outreach opportunity to re-engage aging therapy dogs. Shorty after, we transitioned to the classroom model, and created our own curriculum. We're Chicago's first and only literacy organizations that uses the power of the human-dog bond to advance kids' reading and writing skill. We have an emphasis on social-emotional learning built into our curriculums and the books we read, and we also support classrooms with our Bilingual (Spanish) curriculum.

In the last 20 years we’ve evolved, changed, and grown significantly. So far, we’ve supported over 25,000 students, distributed over 60,000 books, and partnered with 27 schools and community partners.

Reviews

Would you recommend SitStayRead?
3 reviews Write a review
by sarah s. (2011-08-27 08:18:57.0)
Books and kids and dogs, what a great combination! Sit Stay Read brings dogs into the classroom to help at-risk Chicago Public School kids improve their reading skills. By allowing children to read to a non-judgmental dog, the program has proven to improve fluency, attendance, and overall excitement about reading. I volunteer quite often with the community outreach with my dog: setting up a booth at events such as Bucktown Arts Fest and Bark in the Park, to help spread the word about this amazing program, and hopefully bolster volunteer interest and raise some much-needed funds. Come check out SitStayRead.org!
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by Mimi M. (2011-08-25 09:31:28.0)
When I first came to Chicago and found about SitStayRead, I thought what could be cooler than KIDS, BOOKS and DOGS?!? Well, it truly is a unique organization and is super to work with. SSR is organized, offers many different opportunities for volunteers with or without dogs, inside or outside of classrooms, things that can be done from a distance etc. Plus, the staff at SSR is FANTASTIC! They are so welcoming and inviting and always make me (as a volunteer) feel truly valued. Cannot say enough wonderful things about SSR. If you are interested in helping kids learn to read/improve their reading, if you want to work with your dog or just be a part a really cool and fun and well run nonprof, SitStayRead is for you!
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by Linda V. (2011-08-25 09:03:57.0)
The program is very well organized. The training was not overly time consuming yet i felt very well prepared my first time in the classroom. The communication from the program leaders is excellent. Everything is communicated by email so there is no need for excessive phone calls. And what could be more rewarding than seeing young children progress in reading and writing, especially in the company of cute dogs!
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