Book Buddies

American Express volunteers meet their Buddies.

In addition to Learning Leaders tutorial and general volunteer programs, we offer Book Buddies, our most popular corporate program. Learning Leader matches a group of corporate employees with a third to sixth grade classroom of public school students. Volunteers are then paired with a student who will be their pen pal to write letters about a chapter book chosen by our Book Buddies program specialist and school faculty.

The Basics

Employees of the sponsoring corporation become Book Buddies and act as pen pals to children at a New York City public school discussing a selected story in detail. Over the course of the academic year, each volunteer/student pair reads two books.

Book Buddies volunteer are asked to participate in a brief orientation session, led by a Learning Leaders program coordinator. Typically conducted over a lunch period at the volunteers’ workplace, the session covers appropriate communication and introduces volunteers to the syllabus of books for the year.

Disney "VoluntEars" celebrate with their Buddies"

The program culminates with an end-of-the-year celebration at the school where volunteers and students play age and subject-appropriate games, make crafts, and reflect on their books.

The Book Buddies program promotes literacy, and develops students’ vocabulary, writing, critical thinking, grammar, and interpersonal skills.

To learn more about this or other Learning Leaders’ other Corporate Volunteer programs, please contact Claire Campbell at 646-519-8370, or email ccampbell@learningleaders.org.