Program helps Pittsburgh students build a love for reading
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — At Pittsburgh Public Schools, there's a need to read and students are all about it.
A reading program in the district is building confidence for students through books, and it's making them fall in love with the art of storytelling.
At Pittsburgh Weil in the city's Hill District neighborhood, reading is not just a subject in class for third graders. It's also about getting them to connect with the community, to escape, to feel joy.
"Would you say reading is fun?" KDKA-TV's Lindsay Ward asked.
"I would hope so. That's our goal," said Kyle Fahsel, director of mentoring for Reading is FUNdamental Pittsburgh.
Fahsel is involved with the Everybody Wins Program, which brings students and mentors together. Think of it as reading and instruction combined with trust and relationship building.
"And through those relationships, I think the impact is that mentors can help students discover what they enjoy reading and cultivate a love of reading in kids," said Fahsel.
"It's nice and it's good cause they can help me with new words and stuff," said third grader Kaleah Henson.
Henson looks forward to meeting with her mentor weekly. She does so not just in person but virtually too, like dozens of other students.
"The beauty of having an opportunity to engage with a child, to share my love of reading and to feel I can make a difference in the world," said mentor Cindy Goodman-Leib.
There are almost 200 mentors who volunteer, and they come from different backgrounds. Some still work, others are retired. Kyle says it takes a village and having partnerships like UPMC to make it all happen.
"They've supported us through book drives to make sure we're getting brand new books into the hands of kids, they've supported us financially, they have a staff on every one of our virtual mentoring sessions," said Fahsel.
So, in a world where technology seems to rule, for these students, it's books that are leading the way, because for them, reading is fun.