Elementary School: Wright to Read

Wright to Read has been providing services in the city of Alexandria for over 45 years. Wright to Read recruits, trains, and supports volunteer tutor-mentors who support elementary-aged children enrolled in ACPS who have been identified as needing additional support in reading. Due to the strength of the relationships fostered through this program, mentors and students often continue working together beyond elementary school and through middle and high school.  Tutor-mentors meet with their students out-of-school each week, primarily at public libraries. Wright to Read supplements weekly tutoring sessions with family engagement and enrichment opportunities throughout the year. Additionally, our early literacy program is designed to help preschoolers transitioning from Campagna Center’s Head Start programs into kindergarten.

Why Get Involved with Wright to Read?

• • Wright to Read’s volunteer tutor-mentors collaborate with staff to tailor their sessions to the unique child’s needs, strengths, and interests. Of the students we serve, 90% are students of color, and 56% come from multi-lingual households. We perform a baseline test of our students’ literacy skills and annual assessments, and we are proud to report that 90% of our students made significant gains.
  • WTR staff rigorously screen, train, and coach volunteers, match them 1:1 with a student, and ask them to work with their students for at least one year. Many tutor-mentors continue to work with their student for two to three years. Some continue through middle and high school. While tutor-mentor volunteers join us to help a child in need, they all say that their involvement has enriched their own lives beyond their expectations. Hear more about the impact of mentoring in these videos:

• WTR is a year-round, out-of-school time program. Because our tutor-mentors work with their students after school and on the weekends, there’s no loss in valuable classroom time, and year-round activities help to prevent summer learning loss.
• While standards-based curricula are provided to tutor-mentors, WTR is also literature-based. We purchase just the right books for our students–books that are enjoyable and appropriate in content at each reading level. This is key to engaging reluctant readers and encouraging a love of reading. Tutor-mentors also have access to a library of teaching tools, skill-building activities and individualized plans for their students, in addition to access to WTR’s on-staff literacy specialist and annual workshops.
• WTR is also a mentoring program. Tutor-mentors become role models, cheerleaders, and trusted friends who build a student’s confidence.

Are you ready to become a Wright to Read Tutor-Mentor?

We are currently accepting new volunteers for the 2026-2027 school year! If you are a caring adult looking to make a difference in your community, please complete our  Volunteer Interest Form here so that we can contact you regarding next steps to join our team of Wright to Read tutor-mentors. Please check out the Campagna Center event calendar for any upcoming information sessions if you would like to learn more before completing the interest form.

If you have any questions please contact wrighttoread@campagnacenter.org

Are you interested in enrolling your child in Wright to Read?

The Wright to Read program for the 2026-2027 school year is currently at capacity, although we intend to recruit more tutor-mentors this fall. The application is currently closed and will re-open again in January 2027, at which time you can submit an application for your child (who must be an ACPS-enrolled student in grades 1-5 only).

Please note that applications will be considered in the order they are submitted. Additionally, please note that your elementary-aged child will have to meet additional eligibility requirements based on need, current reading level, and recommendation or referral from an Alexandria City Public School. Please email us at wrighttoread@campagnacenter.org if you have any questions.