October 1,1 2023 3:30 a.m.

SMART Reading is seeking volunteers in Douglas County.

In the 2022-23 school year, the organization reopened its in-person reading programs after providing virtual support during the pandemic. Now with the new school year underway, SMART hopes to reach over 600 students in the county, and give away over 9,700 books. To do that, more community members are needed as volunteers.

Volunteers are needed to fill two important roles:

*Readers who are paired with the same child or classroom weekly, sharing the joy of reading, building confidence, and helping set students up for a lifetime of success

*Site coordinators, who act as SMART’s on-the-ground leads at each site, overseeing and implementing the weekly reading sessions

SMART Reading Southwest Area Director Della Harp said, “We are very excited to keep supporting early literacy and a love for reading for the kids in our community”  Harp said right now readers are needed for many of their programs while site coordinators are needed at Camas Valley Charter School and Yoncalla Elementary School.

Volunteer readers spend an hour a week reading with kindergarten through third-grade children. Site Coordinators spend two to eight hours each week leading the program at their site. To learn more, contact the local SMART office at 672-6477 or go to www.smartreading.org,