About Leap 2 Literacy

Why the focus on literacy?
Research has shown that by third grade, students who are below grade level for reading have a significantly harder time catching up. More than half the students at four of Rochester’s elementary schools are below grade level in their reading skills. Leap 2 Literacy seeks to address this issue.

About Leap 2 Literacy
The Leap 2 Literacy (L2L) Initiative is focused on youth achieving reading proficiency. United Way of Olmsted County's role is to unite schools and youth-serving organizations with volunteers to improve student literacy among low-income youth.

This project has been made possible through a Minnesota Literacy Council grant that has provided United Way of Olmsted County with an AmeriCorps VISTA over a four-year period.

What can you do?
Additional reading tutoring would increase students’ chances of academic progress and graduating on time. As part of our initiative, we are looking to recruit volunteers to go into schools and youth-serving organizations to help youth struggling with literacy. L2L volunteers especially assist students who are in the gap and who are considered at-risk academically. Our goal for year one is to engage at least 50 volunteers as readers/tutors.