A long-term investment can have a lasting impact. When Kyra first joined Black Child Development Institute’s Freedom School summer program, she was a young student. The experience helped foster a love of reading that stayed with her long after she aged out of the program.
Years later, Kyra returned as a volunteer and eventually worked in BCDI’s after-school and summer programs. She went on to graduate as her high school’s valedictorian and is now pursuing social work, preparing for a career helping children in foster care.
Her story illustrates something that can be easy to overlook when we talk about literacy: learning to read isn’t only about succeeding in school. It can shape what becomes possible next.
Reading is the foundation for learning across every subject and a gateway to future educational and employment opportunities. Students who struggle to read are more likely to face challenges throughout their educational journey, making early literacy an important part of creating pathways toward economic mobility.
That’s why literacy is a key focus of United Way of Greater Greensboro’s Youth Opportunity investments.
And because there is no single reason a child struggles to read, there is no single solution. Across Greensboro, United Way invests in community partners that address different barriers through tutoring, mentoring, after-school academic enrichment, and other literacy-focused support.
Different needs. Different approaches.
For some students, progress starts with individualized tutoring and structured afterschool learning.
Through programs like Operation Xcel’s Operation Homework, students receive targeted academic assistance, small-group instruction, and support from caring adults. Students participating in the program demonstrated growth in reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, and overall academic engagement. At Hairston Middle School, all measured students passed their English Language Arts benchmarks.
For one elementary student, the change went beyond academic performance. After once viewing after-school programming simply as a place to spend time, she now eagerly participates in one-on-one academic sessions and has developed greater ownership of her learning.
At Black Child Development Institute of Greensboro (BCDI), the approach extends beyond reading instruction to whole-child development. Students participate in academic intervention, literacy-focused enrichment, family literacy programming, and social-emotional learning designed to build their confidence as readers, learners, and future leaders.
During the 2025-2026 school year, 84.8% of participating students demonstrated growth in reading skills. It is the same approach that helped provide an early foundation for students like Kyra and creates opportunities for today’s students to imagine what’s possible for their own futures.
For other students, progress may begin with a relationship.
Through the AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program at Senior Resources of Guilford, trained volunteers ages 55 and older provide one-on-one tutoring and mentoring in schools and childcare settings throughout Guilford County. More than 220 students benefited during the 2025-2026 school year, with the majority remaining on track to meet key literacy and academic benchmarks.
Along with practicing reading skills and strengthening classroom performance, students gain the consistent presence and encouragement of a caring adult.
And at The Salvation Army Red Shield Youth Centers’ Youth University, academic success is integrated into a broader model of youth development. Students receive literacy intervention, homework support, tutoring, and enrichment opportunities designed to strengthen academic achievement while exposing them to future possibilities.
One third-grade student entered the program struggling to read at grade level and unsure of his abilities. With consistent support and encouragement, he reached grade-level proficiency and began envisioning a future in which he could pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. Across the program, 80% of measured third-grade participants were reading on grade level by the end of the year.
Literacy opens doors
The approaches are different because the needs are different. But together, they point to something larger.
Literacy is not solely an education issue. It is an economic mobility issue.
Reading proficiency can influence academic achievement, future employment opportunities, and long-term financial stability. Helping a child become a stronger reader today can expand the choices available to that child tomorrow.
No single program or organization can solve Greensboro’s literacy challenge alone. Through our Youth Opportunity investments, United Way of Greater Greensboro brings resources and partners together around a shared goal: helping young people develop the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to thrive.
Because creating pathways out of poverty doesn’t begin only when someone enters the workforce. For some, it begins much earlier, with the ability to turn a page and imagine what comes next.
