01/22/2025
T minus 44 hours until tutoring resumes at RC Hemphill Elementary School and we need tutors! We have several students already IN the program that need a tutor to continue on the path to reading better!
Sign up is quick and our Director of Volunteer Engagement, Destiny, will guide you through the process to get you set and ready to go!
Please share, send to a friend, sign up, ask questions - we're here to answer and help!
stairbirmingham.org/tutor
01/20/2025
Tutoring will be pushed back to start Wednesday, January 22nd, due to the E-Learning Day announcement!
01/20/2025
Martin Luther King Day is hard to sum up in one sentence, one quote, or one day..it is about his impact, his peaceful presence, and his dedication to the cause and community.
In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed into a law a bill written by U.S. Senator Harris Wofford and Atlanta Congressman John Lewis, titled the King Holiday and Service Act. The legislation challenges Americans to transform the King Holiday into a day of volunteer service to honor Dr. King.
Of course, we hope you'll consider STAIR as an opportunity to help your community beyond this day of service. For now, we celebrate Dr. King and acknowledge how his servant heart and dedicated spirit inspired us to do and be better. ❤️❤️📚
01/17/2025
"... I am most likely going to continue next semester, and I hope to still work with Jaiden if possible.” -Allison Sargeant
Try it out for a semester and you may just decide to stick it out with us for a long while! The relationship you build with a student could stick with *both* of you for so much longer. They always remember a tutor who shows up for them -consistently-
Sign up ASAP at stairbirmingham.org/tutor...sessions start on January 21st and it's coming at us fast!
01/16/2025
Thank you WBRC 6 News for sharing about STAIR, the importance of guiding our kids on their reading journey through one-on-one volunteer tutoring, AND our need for more volunteers!
Watch the quick clip here :
STAIR nonprofit looking for reading volunteers for Birmingham students
STAIR or ‘Start the Adventure in Reading’ works in 12 different Birmingham City Schools to help 175 students grow in their reading and literacy skills.
01/15/2025
We've got some incredible kids at waiting for YOU! You'll be supported by Site Director, Jeritta Gilbert - an Alabama Reading Initiative Coach, and Site Assistant, Jeletter McMillan (a Mother-Daughter Dream Team) at every single session and these sweet 1st-3rd graders are so excited to continue the Adventure in Reading.
Sign up now at stairbirmingham.org/tutor
01/15/2025
Check out this incredible interview with our CEO, Karen Griner, and our CAO, Joel Smith, on Talk Of Alabama with Katherine Page. We always appreciate their interest in what we do at STAIR and are thankful every time we get to visit the station. (Especially when we get to share about our 25th year, Volunteer and Donor Opportunities, AND Every Child Alabama Coalition!!)
STAIR of Birmingham | Talk of Alabama | 1.14.2025
For more information about STAIR of Birmingham's 25th anniversary visit www.stairbirmingham.org
01/14/2025
"...It has definitely been hard at times, but this cadre has shown me that I would be able to handle working with kids and I would be able to adapt teaching strategies depending on what the specific child needed.” -Sara Kate Long
It may not be a breeze every single day (after all do YOU feel 💯every day??)...but it IS worth it every single day.
We have a virtual training tomorrow, Wednesday! You'll get to jump right in and start on January 21st.
Reminder that we still NEED tutors! Students already halfway through the program are waiting to get their second semester tutor. We don't want their adventure in reading to be stalled. Reach out with any questions!
01/13/2025
Join us at Norwood this semester starting January 21st! Conveniently located right in the center of Historic Norwood, this quaint site and these sweet kids led by Site Director, Nancy Utz; and Assistant Site Director, Alandrea Harris; hope you'll sign up ASAP to keep the students climbing to the top of their literacy ladder!
stairbirmingham.org/tutor
01/13/2025
Take it from one of our tutors : "“It has been such a positive experience and is consistently one of the highlights of my week!” -Laura Dawson
Here's the long and short:
🍎 Sign up at stairbirmingham.org/tutor and wait for next steps from Destiny, our Dir. of Volunteer Engagement.
🍎 A quick training, background check, and site placement sets you up to begin January 21st.
🍎 You are paired with one student for the whole semester (once OR twice a week - your choice).
🍎 Your dedication to one students improves their reading skills and confidence for a lifetime.
01/10/2025
Looking for an ❄️Alabama "Snow Day"❄️ read? and its coalition members (ourselves included!) are preparing for legislative sessions in February to modernize and update Alabama's school funding formula to benefit *Every Child* in every district. They ALL deserve the same exact opportunity to receive the quality education we know Alabama's teachers, school administration, and external support programs work tirelessly to provide....but they need better funding methods to do so effectively in various districts across our state.
Let's make 2025 the year we work towards Alabama's brightest future by tackling the root issue in our education system and give our young Alabama minds a broader chance to thrive.
Stay tuned here (turn on your post notifications!) to see a few easy action items you can participate in to help us! Visit their website to dive in to the blog posts, Op Eds, goals, and more! everychildal.org
01/10/2025
Reading is necessary, yes; but the effects of inspiring a love of reading are far reaching. Children who regularly read or are read to at home develop larger vocabularies and greater knowledge of the world, giving them a significant advantage in school. More confidence at school leads to the potential for higher education and developing vocational skills. And ALL of this leads to a brighter future for our city and community. Truly! Your volunteer hours turn in to so much more.
WE NEED TUTORS! Sign up for the next semester of tutoring that begins on JANUARY 21st!
Tutor
10 hours a semester makes all the difference for a student who is learning to read. Become a volunteer tutor and partner with a Birmingham student on their journey to reading better and dreaming bigger.
01/07/2025
We had a wonderful Staff Holiday Party at the amazing Nature Center - deliciously catered by …complete with staff, board members, and our annual book exchange!
It was just the celebration we needed to get us excited for our next semester of tutoring!
Want to join some of these faces as we continue the adventure in reading with our students? We need volunteer tutors!!! Sign up at stairbirmingham.org/tutor
01/02/2025
Unlock a child's reading potential in 2025!
Students are waiting for you to help them SOAR!
Here's a quick need to know to get you started:
• Easy training & background check
• 10-20 hours/semester with a student, one-on-one!
• No education background needed
• Scripted curriculum provided
• Choose from 12 sites with support at every step
Be the change they're waiting for! Sign up ASAP: stairbirmingham.org/tutor
12/31/2024
2024 was an exciting year for Terrance and so many students like him. Their reading skills have grown but most importantly their confidence levels have grown exponentially.
We couldn't give Terrance and his peers the extra one-on-one support they need and deserve without your gifts. We hope you'll consider jumping on to stairbirmingham.org/give before your New Year's Eve festivities commence and donating to STAIR so we can foster young minds and eager budding readers!
Have a safe New Year's! We look forward to all we get to do together in 2025!
12/30/2024
It's a perfect day to find someone to relax and read a book with. 📖
Already thinking about New Year's intentions and resolutions?? We've got the perfect one - VOLUNTEER! We need tutors for our January - April semester and you commit to just 10 or 20 hours for the whole semester.
You or someone you know interested? Send us a message! We'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Ready to sign up? Easy - go to stairbirmingham.org/tutor to get started!
12/28/2024
When Terrance started with STAIR in 1st grade, he was still working on 3 letter words and comprehension. Now, in the middle of his 3rd year with us, he has more than doubled his word decoding skills and is reading complex books with confidence. Terrance is proof that sticking with students for the long run is an effective strategy for reading achievement.
As we near the end of the year, we want to encourage you to wrap up 2024 with a gift to STAIR to continue building the reading confidence level of students like Terrance.
There's no better way to stride in to a New Year than knowing YOU had an impact on a young reader in your community.
stairbirmingham.org/give
12/26/2024
It's the perfect day to cozy up with one of those books that was wrapped under your tree. Wishing everyone a relaxing Holiday break.