Caitlyn Yarbrough

Professor Branham
GOV 101
April 30, 2020
Civic Engagement
This semester, I volunteered with Reading Partners. Reading Partners is a non-profit
organization that helps communities provide students with reading support to have them reading
at grade level by fourth grade. Reading Partners works with under-resourced schools by
engaging their volunteers with students one-on-one to help improve their reading capabilities.
This organization builds partnership with volunteers, teachers, school faculty, and parents to
provide students with the support they need to improve. Reading Partners helps students become
passionate to learn and confident in their ability to succeed.
During this spring semester, I volunteered approximately 10 hours with Reading Partners.
Weekly, I would spend two hours tutoring students in reading. I volunteered with Reading
Partners at Key Elementary School on Tuesdays and Clinton West Elementary School on
Wednesdays. My site coordinator at Key was Sam Burnett, and my site coordinator at Clinton
West was Cathy Morton. I was assigned a student at each school that I had the opportunity to
tutor and build up reading capabilities. During each session with my student, we would read
books together, practice writing words, and learning vocabulary. Considering the social
environment, I had the chance to connect with many individuals: with other volunteers to share
helpful tips with one another, with my site coordinators to discuss my students’ progress, and
with my students to create a lasting bond that aided in securing success. Some specific actions I
took in advancing towards a difference in the community are sacrificing my time to the students
in order to help them achieve necessary goals and spreading the word about the demand for more
volunteers with this organization.
My faith influenced my engagement with this organization greatly. With Christianity
being my foundation, I desire to live according to the fruits of the Spirit, which include the
following: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-
control. All of which are necessary when volunteering with children. Volunteering while having
a Biblical-Christian worldview looks like what Ephesians 2:10 says. It says, “It is God himself
who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he
planned that we should spend these lives in helping others.” (TLB). This is what ministry is all
about. We help others by encouraging, loving, supporting, and even counseling. Volunteering
with a Biblical-Christian worldview means serving to build up others and not for personal gain.
Everything that is done for God is significant. The Bible also says, “So then, my dear friends,
stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in your work for the Lord, since you know that nothing
you do in the Lord's service is ever useless.” (1 Corinthians 15:58 GNT).
I thoroughly enjoyed this opportunity to volunteer with Reading Partners and make a
difference within the lives of students. Reading Partners is an excellent non-profit that is
continually advancing toward their goals as an organization. It was an honor to be a part of their
mission, to connect with such fantastic volunteers and coordinators, and to provide students with
assistance toward their goals.