| dc.description.abstract | READ USA (RU) is a literacy non-profit organization founded in 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida with a primary mission to end illiteracy in Duval County. The organization offers free book fairs to all Duval County public elementary schools, provides a peer-to-peer tutoring program in 16 schools, and offers stand-alone literacy coaching to schools in need. In 2023 RU implemented a more robust and targeted workforce development training program for its high school–age tutors. Under this model, tutors receive training and mentorship from professional teachers, earn a competitive hourly wage, and participate in workforce development activities. Using a mixed methods approach, we sought to better understand the experiences and perceived career readiness gains identified by RU tutors. We developed and administered a 39-question survey exploring tutor demographics, school site and program tenure, exposure to program inputs, tutor satisfaction, and perceived career readiness outcomes. Our findings suggest that the majority of tutors benefit from the program across varying school sites and demographics. The findings highlight areas of opportunity for RU to enhance future data collection efforts and infuse supportive mentorship and tutor interest alignment within the workforce development program. | |
