University Retirees Volunteer Center

Reader Writer Program

Program Overview:

• Reader/Writer is a high-impact, low-effort literacy initiative that pairs middle and high school students from public schools in Minneapolis with adult volunteers.
• Volunteers serve as writing coaches who help students build writing skills, confidence, and resilience through an ongoing writing exchange.
• The Reader/Writer coordinator facilitates and manages the program in partnership with English teachers and volunteers from a variety of professional backgrounds, including law, higher education, and other sectors.

What Readers Do:

• Serve as writing coaches for one year helping 1-2 students write 10-12 essays.
• Spend about an hour editing each essay and commenting on content.

• Encourage young writers to build confidence, express their ideas, and develop their writing skills.
• Enable teachers to assign up to four times the national average number of essays each year.

What to Expect:

• Students grow and mature as thinkers and writers as the year progresses.
• Gain a window into the experiences and perspectives of one or two young people on meaningful topics illustrated through their writing.

Volunteer Requirements:

• Commit to one school year of reading, late September-May.
• Commit to one hour twice a month per student writer.
• Commit to the timely return of essays/responses to the teacher and student.
• Have access to a printer to print typed responses.

Training and Support:

• Volunteers will be notified of the virtual or in-person training session by the Reader Writer program coordinator, Lia Venchi.

• Emailed details about the program and how to go about editing and commenting.
• Emailed samples of student writing with their readers’ responses.
• Email assistance by teacher and facilitator available at any time.

Deadline for volunteer application: IMMEDIATE & ONGOING

Click the Sign Up Button below to receive registration information

Or, contact the University Retirees Volunteer Center

by email at URVC@UMN.EDU