Streetsboro Elementary School Kindergarten students have been enjoying special visits from community volunteers through a guest reader program coordinated by United Way of Portage County since the 2019-2020 school year.
The program connects local volunteers with young learners through the academic year, bringing fresh voices and favorite stories into kindergarten classrooms each quarter. Maureen Gebhart, director of community impact and volunteers for United Way of Portage County, coordinates the readers while Streetsboro kindergarten teacher Allison Ross manages scheduling for the school’s six kindergarten sections.
Guest readers bring their own book selections, often choosing seasonal stories, personal favorites or books with meaningful messages to share. The program aims to have one reader per kindergarten class, though classes combine when fewer volunteers are available.
Ross prepares students for the visits by discussing respectful listening and expressing appreciation. The anticipation builds excitement around reading while exposing children to various community members who share a love of books. Some volunteers have become regular participants, returning annually alongside new faces. Ross particularly enjoys visits from retired teachers who return to share stories with a new generation of learners.
"We want our Kindergarten students to love reading," said Ross. "There is no better way to do this than modeling our own love of books and stories. We are so grateful to have wonderful community members volunteer their time to share this love with us."
By welcoming volunteers into classrooms, the district aims to create meaningful relationships between students and community members while fostering a lifelong love of reading in its youngest Rockets. 