Words Alive

At Words Alive, our mission is to open opportunities for life success by inspiring a commitment to reading!

Current Volunteer Opportunities: • Teen Services Book Group: Program within Juvenile Court and Community Schools focusing on college and career readiness with at-risk teens impacted by homelessness, teen parenting, delinquency issues, and/or the foster care system. Recruiting for a book group that meets every other Wednesday from 9-10am at the East Mesa Juvenile Detention Facility (Otay Mesa area). Volunteers work in teams (2-3) with classes of 15 or less. (Teacher and class assistant always present, site is secure.) • Scholarship Student Mentor: Teen Services program participants pursuing higher education can apply for the Words Alive Westreich Scholarship. Along with receiving funds for academia, recipients are paired with a mentor who provides progress reports about the spending of allocated money, and monthly (at minimum) check-ins with the student to make sure they are happy with the support of the program and doing well in school. Mentors and students set check-ins based on their schedules. • Read-Aloud*: Focuses on preschool - 3rd grade education in low income communities across San Diego County. This program motivates children to develop a passion for reading. Enthusiastic volunteers devote their time reading weekly, bi-weekly or monthly (.5-1 hour each session) to children in classrooms. These sessions go beyond just reading a story, creating life-long readers and life-long learners. *Substitute readers needed as well!