Make Reading a Reality for Every Child in Seattle
Read Seattle connects volunteers with local nonprofits and schools to support structured reading programs citywide.
Volunteer at a literacy program near you
Volunteers can be trained professionals, community members, or even middle and high school students. Read Seattle exists to point potential tutors to nonprofit organizations that match their interests and availability.
Explore local tutoring needs
Featured after-school and in-school volunteer opportunities. No experience needed - just a desire to help kids thrive.
Rising Star Elementary and School Connect WA will launch Seattle’s largest academic summer intervention—serving 100+ students with high-impact literacy and math instruction.
Volunteer tutors and mentors needed—high schoolers, retirees, college students, neighbors. Flexible schedules. Be part of closing opportunity gaps and changing lives.
- 8311 Beacon Ave S, 98118
- July 8 - August 8
- Serving students grades 1-5
- Program Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Sign up today
School Connect WA is proud to serve Dearborn Park International Elementary with a five-week, full-day academic program focused on closing literacy and math gaps for multilingual learners. From July 8 to August 13, students will receive daily targeted instruction alongside hands-on STEM activities and field trips—including Microsoft Headquarters and the Pacific Science Center.
- 2820 S Orcas Street, 98108
- July 8 - August 13
- Serving students grades 1-5
- Program Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
We invite all community members—retirees, high schoolers, and college students—to serve as tutors and mentors, playing a vital role in helping students reverse the summer slide and build momentum for fall.
This summer, School Connect WA returns to Daniel Bagley Elementary with a powerful five-week program serving Spanish-speaking and multilingual students through daily literacy and math intervention. Running July 8 to August 8, 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, the program blends academics with joyful learning—STEM activities, field trips to Microsoft, UW, Green Lake, a Mariners game, and even more!
The program relies heavily on volunteers from Bethany Community Church and warmly welcomes all members of the community to serve as tutors and role models—helping students build confidence, curiosity, and a love for learning that lasts well beyond the summer.
Each year, Empowering Youth and Family Outreach (EYFO) serves over 150 students through summer literacy camps. EYFO provides in-person programming to youth within the greater Seattle area, allowing participants to build relationships with their team, engage in enrichment classes, and receive dedicated mentoring support.
- 4308 S Othello St, 98118
- July 1 - August 16
- Serving students K-8
- Program Costs: $850
- Program Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Youth & Family Center
5150 S Cloverdale Pl, Seattle WA 98118
Summer Academy July 7 - Aug 8, 10 am - 3 pm
Serving grades 3 - 8
August 6th: College and career fair
Friday field trips
Wednesday's: 2 PM - 5:30 PM. Flexible schedules.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 2:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
M, Tu, and Th from 2:00 pm-5:00 pm.
This summer, School Connect WA returns to Daniel Bagley Elementary with a powerful five-week program serving Spanish-speaking and multilingual students through daily literacy and math intervention. Running July 8 to August 8, 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, the program blends academics with joyful learning—STEM activities, field trips to Microsoft, UW, Green Lake, a Mariners game, and even more!
The program relies heavily on volunteers from Bethany Community Church and warmly welcomes all members of the community to serve as tutors and role models—helping students build confidence, curiosity, and a love for learning that lasts well beyond the summer.
Rising Star Elementary and School Connect WA will launch Seattle’s largest academic summer intervention—serving 100+ students with high-impact literacy and math instruction.
Volunteer tutors and mentors needed—high schoolers, retirees, college students, neighbors. Flexible schedules. Be part of closing opportunity gaps and changing lives.
- 8311 Beacon Ave S, 98118
- July 8 - August 8
- Serving students grades 1-5
- Program Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Sign up today
School Connect WA is proud to serve Dearborn Park International Elementary with a five-week, full-day academic program focused on closing literacy and math gaps for multilingual learners. From July 8 to August 13, students will receive daily targeted instruction alongside hands-on STEM activities and field trips—including Microsoft Headquarters and the Pacific Science Center.
- 2820 S Orcas Street, 98108
- July 8 - August 13
- Serving students grades 1-5
- Program Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM
We invite all community members—retirees, high schoolers, and college students—to serve as tutors and mentors, playing a vital role in helping students reverse the summer slide and build momentum for fall.
Each year, Empowering Youth and Family Outreach (EYFO) serves over 150 students through summer literacy camps. EYFO provides in-person programming to youth within the greater Seattle area, allowing participants to build relationships with their team, engage in enrichment classes, and receive dedicated mentoring support.
- 4308 S Othello St, 98118
- July 1 - August 16
- Serving students K-8
- Program Costs: $850
- Program Hours: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Youth & Family Center
5150 S Cloverdale Pl, Seattle WA 98118
Summer Academy July 7 - Aug 8, 10 am - 3 pm
Serving grades 3 - 8
August 6th: College and career fair
Friday field trips
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 2:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
M, Tu, and Th from 2:00 pm-5:00 pm.
Here's How Together,
We're Bridging the Literacy Gap
Understanding the Literacy Crisis
Low literacy is fueling cycles of poverty. In the U.S., 54% of adults read below a sixth-grade level, and 21% struggle with basic literacy. These challenges drive higher poverty, unemployment, and healthcare costs—up to $238 billion each year. In Seattle, only 30.2% of Black third graders met reading standards in 2023 , and in some schools, fewer than 1 in 4 students read at grade level. Without urgent, community-led action, the gap will continue to grow.
Creating a Grassroots Movement
Read Seattle is building a community-driven literacy movement by connecting volunteers with local nonprofits that provide direct tutoring services. While we don’t operate tutoring programs ourselves, we help community members engage with organizations that do.
Help Change a Child's Future
Tutoring programs offer more than academic support—they provide emotional guidance, build confidence, and expand social capital. Studies have shown that students with mentors are more likely to achieve higher grade-point averages, decrease their risk of failing a class, and have a greater chance of reaching and finishing college. Source
SENTENCED: An Urgent Call to Action Documentary
SENTENCED is an immersive and vulnerable exploration of the epidemic of childhood illiteracy through a series of braided character-driven stories. Executive produced and narrated by 4x NBA basketball champion Stephen Curry, SENTENCED is designed to launch 1,000,000 volunteers across America.
