The staff of the Center for Community Engagement, Learning and Leadership at ETSU recruits, hires and trains as many as 50 college students each semester to provide one-on-one and small group reading instruction to children in Johnson City and its surrounding communities who read below third grade level.

Through this outreach to the community, local children and youth receive personalized tutoring needed in order to excel in reading thus boosting their confidence, motivation and overall academic achievement. Educators receive needed assistance in their efforts to ensure student success as tutors complement and reinforce classroom instruction. Tutors become actively engaged in the child’s learning experience, gaining valuable skills and abilities that will positively affect their own future endeavors. ETSU heightens its visibility in the community and provides its students with an abundance of experiential learning opportunities. And, the community is strengthened through its efforts to serve and improved the lives of future generations. The America Reads Challenge is a win-win for all.