Be a Fairmount Reading Buddy

This is a unique opportunity for community members to support and inspire kindergarten, first, and second grade students on their reading journey. Thirty minutes of your time will make a huge difference in the life of the elementary student you will partner with!

Reading Buddies help ensure that young learners enter third grade reading on grade level with a love for learning. No previous teaching experience is required! As Kay explains, it's not just about teaching someone to read - it's about being a friend to a young person, being someone who cares. Please email Kay Ward to let her know you want to be part of this important program with Bristol Tennessee City Schools.

If your schedule will allow you to be a BTCS Reading Buddy (whether it’s at Fairmount or another elementary school), your presence will matter more than you know. Research shows that reading on grade level by third grade is a game changer – and having a caring adult by a student’s side can make all the difference.

As motivational speaker Rita Pierson once said, “Every child deserves a champion – an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists that they become the best they can possibly be.”  Reading Buddies’ mentors have been those champions for many of our elementary school students, and we look forward to welcoming you into our elementary schools this year!

If you mentored a student last year -- or if you would like to mentor a student this year – please contact Kay Ward for some important information.