This New Tutoring Program Will Recruit Older Adults to Help DeKalb Students Increase Reading Skills

DeKalb County, Ga., is hosting a new tutoring program in which older adults will volunteer to help local students become more adept readers, reports The Neighbor . The AARP Experience Corps program targets the reading proficiency of children in kindergarten through third grade who are lagging by at least two grade levels. Recent data found DeKalb students have an average reading proficiency of 26 percent. The DeKalb County Human Services Department's tutoring program will start on Oct. 21, with several elementary schools participating. Volunteers must be 50 years old at minimum, with a high school diploma or GED. The DeKalb Human Services Department is collaborating on the program with the United Way of Greater Atlanta, the AARP Foundation, and the DeKalb County School District.