WEST HARTFORD – Children’s Reading Partners is celebrating its 18th anniversary with a celebratory adult spelling bee and dessert reception from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 2 at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford. A program of the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, Children’s Reading Partners aims to build and improve the reading skills of pre-kindergarten to grade-five educationally at-risk students in public school districts in West Hartford, Bloomfield, East Hartford, Manchester, and New Britain, by recruiting and training volunteers who read with students. Volunteers commit to reading with the same child every week for the entire program term.

Since 1998, the initiative has served approximately 5,100 students and conducted more than 80,000 reading sessions. In the 2014-2015 school year, 250 reading mentors read with 450 educationally “at-risk” students; the past year saw a 35.7 percent increase in the total number of students served.

Each student – as well as that student’s classroom — also receives a book as a gift from the program.

“The children with whom we read often have no books in their homes, lack adult support to reinforce reading abilities, and have limited comprehension skills. That’s why the mentoring we give is so critical to building literacy skills for student success,” explains the program’s co-founder, Naomi Cohen, who is also former House chairman of the Connecticut Legislature’s Education Committee. Cohen adds, “Giving back to one’s community is an important Jewish value on which Children’s Reading Partners rests.  It’s an honor to be part of our cadre of volunteers who are making a real impact in the lives of young, at-risk students.”

The program’s director, Alana Butler, agrees. “Students thrive from the one-to-one attention from a caring adult. Not only do our reading mentors help to improve students’ motivation, confidence, and reading skills, but they also help students see the enjoyment and value of reading,” she says.

Admission to the 18th anniversary celebration and adult spelling bee is $18. Reservations a must by May 19.

For more information or to register for a training session or the 18th anniversary celebration, call (860) 236-7323 or email read@jewishhartford.org or visit childrensreadingpartners.org.

CAP: A Children’s Reading Partners Volunteer Reads with Students.