Calling All Heroes: Help Students Fall in Love with Reading

All it takes is 30 minutes a week to help a Hazelwood student fall in love with reading. 

Hazelwood Hero Readers are the school district’s dedicated volunteers who read with students one-on-one for 30 minutes weekly to help them get excited about books and reading.

“The Hero Readers are vital to our HSD community,” Hazelwood Heroes Trainer Anjanette Clark said. “They are volunteering to help students enjoy reading and they are mentors for students.” 

The Hazelwood Heroes program has been active in the school district for over 20 years, and Clark said she is always looking for more heroes to work with students inside our schools. 

“They work one-on-one with elementary students and the attention they devote to the students builds confidence in the students’ abilities to learn and read,” Clark said. 

As much as the hero readers are helping the students, it is also rewarding for the volunteers. It is impactful for the Hero Readers to see students grow and become more capable readers with the help of their dedication and care. 

“The Heroes are also benefitting from their time as they see our students grow, mature and advance their skills and joy of reading,” Clark said. 

Volunteers can choose which HSD elementary school they would like to visit, schedules are flexible, and no prior experience is needed. All heroes will be provided with the training, and all materials, books, and activities are provided by the HSD Heroes program. All the volunteers need to do is have a completed background check and show up excited to read to students. 

An informational meeting for those interested in becoming a Hero Reader will be Monday, September 28 at 9 a.m., at The Learning Center, 15955 New Halls Ferry Rd., Florissant, MO, 63031. Additionally, interested individuals can contact Anjanette Clark at aclark1@hazelwoodschools.org or 314-953-5160, or click here to be contacted with more information.