RALEIGH, N.C. — Last week WakeEd Partnership wrapped up another successful year of Partners Read, its community-based literacy program that connects volunteers with young Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) students for one-on-one reading support, relationship-building, and helping spark a lifelong love of reading. This school year, the Partners Read program served 65 WCPSS elementary schools, reaching approximately 650 students selected by their teachers for additional reading support.
More than 325 community volunteers visited schools throughout the year, meeting weekly in fall and spring sessions to read individually with students, helping build confidence, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and language development—four critical components of the Science of Reading.
Each student selected and received a brand-new book at every visit, building a home library of 20 books by year’s end and putting approximately 13,000 new books into students’ hands this year alone.
“Partners Read is about much more than reading practice,” said Keith Poston, president of WakeEd Partnership. “It’s about confidence, connection, and helping children see themselves as readers. Every week, a caring adult shows up just for them—and that matters.”
Research consistently shows that access to books at home significantly improves literacy outcomes, making the program’s book ownership model a critical part of its success.
Originally launched in 2014 as Lawyers Read through a partnership with volunteers from the Wake County Bar Association, the program has grown into one of WakeEd Partnership’s signature literacy initiatives, now engaging hundreds of volunteers from across the community.
In addition to literacy gains, the program creates meaningful intergenerational connections between students and volunteers.
“Again and again, our volunteers tell us they receive just as much from this experience as the students do,” Poston said. “That’s what strong public schools do—they create connections that strengthen not just students, but the entire community.”
WakeEd Partnership is currently recruiting volunteers and community partners for the next school year. For more information, visit https://wakeed.org/partnersread/
About WakeEd Partnership
WakeEd Partnership (WakeEd) is a business-backed nonprofit dedicated to supporting the teachers, students, and families of Wake County Public Schools. Founded in 1983, WakeEd works to mobilize the community, support classrooms, and champion strong public schools for all students. Learn more at www.wakeed.org
