The Polk Education Foundation plans to expand AmeriCorps Polk Reads into fourth and fifth grades and five additional schools, with a GiveWell grant honoring Mabel Schaefer.
Americorps Polk Reads volunteers prepare for a new school year. | Courtesy of Stephanie Narramore
4-minute read
In 2024-2025, only half of the enrolled students in Polk County Public Schools (PCPS) — slightly more than 80,000 kids — demonstrated proficiency in English Language Arts on state tests, compared to the statewide average of 59.1%.
The need for reading intervention and support is significant throughout Polk County, as those struggles can translate into adulthood. Polk ranks among the lowest 40% of counties statewide in basic adult literacy needed to hold most jobs, according to the United Community Indicators.
An Americorps Polk Reads volunteer works with a student. | Courtesy of Stephanie Narramore
The Polk Education Foundation’s (PEF) AmeriCorps Polk Reads Program helps to fill this funding gap in a small, but significant way.
With a recent $80,000 grant from the Givewell Community Foundation in honor of donor Mabel Schaefer, the PEF plans to upgrade their curriculum, pilot the program with fourth and fifth graders, and expand to serve 15 schools over the next two years.
“AmeriCorps Polk Reads provides 400 students a year with 30 minute one-to-one reading tutoring sessions three times a week, which saves families in Polk County over $1,000,000 in private tutoring fees that would be paid, not including transportation costs to get the student to a site to tutor after school,” according to Senior Director Stephanie Naramore.
National service, local impact
AmeriCorps is a national service program that gives members valuable experience, a living allowance, and an education award. Most AmeriCorps Polk Reads volunteers are college students who may be pursuing a career in education or seniors who are supplementing their income.
Stipends for AmeriCorps volunteers participating in the Polk Reads Program range from $6,000 to $16,000 annually, depending on the time commitment. They can serve up to four years in the program.
The PEF provides a significant match and continuously seeks additional funding to coordinate the program and make it feasible for volunteers. The PEF provides the curriculum, training, uniforms, and ongoing support for the volunteers throughout the year.
AmeriCorps Polk Reads volunteers currently tutor kindergarten through third grade students in 10 schools for four hours a day, three times a week. Groups of three to five volunteers serve at each participating school.
Participating schools provide a site-supervisor and a dedicated classroom space. Site-supervisors and teachers select students who would benefit from the additional tutoring and who are not already receiving intervention in another program. Parents must provide consent for students to participate.
Beyond the data
Polk Reads’ measures its impact in part by progress monitoring and statewide testing scores. During the 2024-2025 school year, 84% or 356 of 424 students made reading gains in their scaled score, according to Naramore.
But the data only tells part of the story.
Feedback included in survey comments from school staff demonstrates the significant impact of AmeriCorps volunteers who work with the K-3 population.
“I had this student for two years (first and second grade). When he came to me in first grade he was so low he wasn’t able to recognize the letter A… He is able to read and understand books independently and more importantly he has learned to love reading. He still has a long way to go, but the extra support from AmeriCorps made such an important impact in his educational career. He went from crying at the beginning of the year because he was so embarrassed of his reading, to saying reading is his favorite subject.” – Padgett Elementary Teacher
Relationships matter
Americorps Polk Reads volunteer Carol B. works with a student. | Courtesy of Stephanie Narramore
As the program expands to older learners, working with fourth and fifth graders will bring new challenges, said Lindsay Persohn, assistant professor of literacy studies at the University of South Florida and former Kindergarten teacher who has served as the co-chair of the Polk Vision Literacy Team for the past decade.
Student mentor relationships are vital to the success of tutoring programs.
“I’ve run mentoring and tutoring kinds of programs before, and really, this idea that there has to be a relationship goes hand in hand with the academics. I don’t think you’re going to see impressive academic growth unless you also have the care and the kindness and kids feeling like this is a person who’s there to support them and actually cares about them,” Pershon said.
Interested in becoming a PolkReads volunteer? Contact Stephanie Narramore for more details:
Insight Polk examines community conditions and solutions in six target areas from UCIndicators.org: economic & employment opportunity, education, housing, food security, transportation & infrastructure, and quality of life.
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting is made possible by the United Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Sarah is a Mulberry-based freelance writer and reporter for LkldNow, where she covers education news and community initiatives across Polk County. A resident of the area for 25 years, her work is informed by a diverse background that includes a decade in higher education, research, and academic publishing, alongside her current roles as a K-2 ESE educator and an advanced yoga teacher.
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