Read Alliance Teen Leadership Program
Teen Leadership Program (TLP)
Read Alliance's partnerships with elementary schools include our commitment to hire, train and place Teen Leaders at each site; train the Lead Teachers on the READ model and leveled reading program; provide the curriculum materials; conduct data collection and evaluation; and provide ongoing support (e.g. setup, instructional support and troubleshooting). READ is valued by its school partners because its model of intervention centers the individual near-peer pairings of teens and students as the magic that turns the reading key and opens the doors for young readers.
The TLP adds several additional hours of paid professional development for every Teen Leader which consists of complementary programming (in person or virtually) in line with Teen Leaders’ expressed interests. The TLP encompasses important components such as: college focus and career exposure; goal setting and time management, networking and effective communication; financial literacy; health and wellness; civic engagement and leadership development. READ has leveraged partnerships with corporations to provide internship opportunities, career coaching and financial literacy, insights on navigating institutional barriers such as racial and gender discrimination in the workplace, and assistance with resume creation.
The TLP culminates in an Annual Youth Summit which is a one-day event that maximizes the relationships with mission-aligned corporations and champions of youth leadership to address relevant and important topics that advance teen leadership development. Keynote speakers, topical panels, dynamic workshops that promote critical thinking, writing skills, interviewing strategies and other professional development components are implemented along with a celebration of Teen Leader accomplishments and opportunities for teens to network with each other and professional role models.
Read Alliance is committed to connecting the Teen Leadership job opportunity with a pipeline to college and careers in education, particularly for young men of color who are under-represented in the field of education. This pipeline would include opportunities to earn college credit in education courses while the participating Teen Leaders are in high school, and ideally lead to acceptance and financial assistance to a higher education institution to earn a degree, and eventually a career, in the field of education.