SitStayRead advances children's literacy skills with an engaging curriculum, trained volunteers, and Certified Reading Assistance Dogs.
OUR MISSION
Welcome Letter by Cynthia Marroquin, Program Manager
Dear SitStayRead Community,
Our theme this year for SitStayRead is to unleash the joy of reading This year marks our 20th year of doing just that One of the key ingredients for ensuring joyful reading is acknowledging the connection between selfconfidence and reading or writing at a young age SitStayRead’s curriculum -- our secret sauce-- is created with this connection in mind, and it is brought to life through our team of dedicated empathetic, and informed staff board and volunteers
SitStayRead intentionally pairs our literacy instruction with social-emotional learning. Selecting books that explain the big emotions we face as humans in a way a child can take in is not just soothing for the children but for anyone who is involved in that program SitStayRead engages with stories that have lessons built around defining an emotion, connecting that emotion to behaviors or sensations, and finally discussing how students can understand or overcome Once students can understand themselves more or what they feel, it is easier to have a clear mind to think, to read and to write.
By bringing dogs into the classroom and changing the school environment, SitStayRead ignites a spark in our students and helps them feel excited about reading and writing There is even research on reading to dogs aloud and how that can improve reading comprehension twice as much as reading aloud alone or with an adult The hope we share at the end of each SitStayRead program is that children carry the excitement they experience through the human-animal bond alongside them as their reading, writing and love literacy develops.
As we evolve our work for the students we serve, SitStayRead understands that each student group or community has different needs As the key player in childrens literacy, we create a bridge that extends beyond challenges such as the accessibility of books or language barriers in our Latino Chicago neighborhoods
The bilingual programming we have developed was created specifically for students who face these obstacles in order to encourage them to embrace both languages and to normalize speaking both, even though they are still learning them SitStayRead serves majority black and brown communities as well as communities where the primary language is between Spanish and English As initial strangers coming into the classrooms, we ’ ve found that speaking the same language our students hear at home builds a sense of familiarity Through this, trust is built and paves the way to our path of advancing in our journey of literacy and embracing self-authenticity
For any SitStayRead member in the classroom, an objective we hold close to our hearts is making sure all students feel seen heard, and supported We aim to create a space where children feel safe enough to be their most authentic selves One where meeting a dog for the first time isn t scary and neither is making friends. We aim to build a safe space for children to sound out unfamiliar words without the fear of being judged or to read aloud for possibly the first time in front of others Finally, we work to build a place safe enough for students to recognize that “mistakes are what help us learn” - a direct quote from one of our Kindergarten students while practicing writing in English
As a multicultural individual and as a Latina, I empathize with bilingual students who are growing and learning two languages at once on top of learning how to be present in both cultures at home and school. By showing children at an early age that learning involves challenges, reflections, and trying again, they will Unleash the Joy of Reading, as well as believing in themselves unconditionally
Unleash the
Joy of Reading
Cynthia Marroquin
Unleash the Impact
$496,193 RAISED 23 CLASSROOMS VISITED
2,930 BRAND NEW BOOKS DISTRIBUTED
1,600 VOLUNTEER HOURS 554 READERS SUPPORTED
OUR PROGRAMS
The Little Buddies program works with kindergarten students to build early literacy skills such as reading, writing, and comprehension
Bilingual Programs
Barkin’ Buddies supports first-grade students through read-alouds, discussion, writing, socialemotional learning, and developing the animalhuman bond.
Social-Emotional focused curriculum
Family Literacy Nights
Family Literacy Nights are an opportunity for us to promote reading and writing at home by engaging students and parents in fun literacyrelated activities
We offer programs in both English and Spanish, supporting Chicago’s English language learners as they navigate the complexities of learning a new language.
Our books are steeped in social-emotional learning that helps students identify emotions and feelings such as anger, belonging, expectations, and community.
At the end of every program, students attend an assembly-style celebration where they receive new books, notebooks, crayons, and workbooks, encouraging them to Keep Reading!
Little Buddies
Barkin’ Buddies
In June, we brought together our community of dog and literacy lovers for our annual fundraiser, Bark N Ball! Every year, we spend one night of the year celebrating the impactful work we do making reading joyful for children throughout Chicago.
What makes Bark N Ball so special is the fun and engaging take on a traditional fundraising gala. As an organization that brings joy to the classrooms through dogs, we bring that same level of joy and excitement to our flagship fundraiser. Our dog friendly event includes interactive activity stations, back yard games, raffle prizes, a heartfelt story from our educations and lastly a live auction. Last year ’ s event raised over $150,000 helping us continue bringing dogs, books and confidence to young readers throughout Chicago,
porate Partner Spotlight: KPMG
unity partnerships are at the heart of SitStayRead’s Without volunteers, community members, local zations, and our loyal business partners, fostering a nd joy of reading for our students would not be le.
is one of the many loyal partners that help us bring y of reading to schools throughout Chicago. For the years, KPMG and SitStayRead have partnered to iteracy resources to classrooms throughout Chicago eed it most.
he help of KPMG, SitStayRead provides hundreds of new books to students in our classrooms. The pure ment and joy of students receiving books encourage students to keep reading, even when yRead leaves their classroom. Through this rship, KPMG has invested over $196,040.00 into rting young readers.
SitStayRead’s vision is to create a world where every child, regardless of race or economic status, has access to the resources and opportunities they need to develop strong literacy skills, build meaningful connections with animals, and thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
It will take a bold yet deliberate plan to ensure our organization's long-term success as we pursue this vision. With that, we are excited to share our strategic plan for the next three years.
SitStayRead’s work is condensed into three core pillars:
Where SitStayRead is headed
port
ersifying and stabilizing the fundraising model for foundations, individuals, and egic Goal: Increase the mix of funding sources to 20% corporations, 35% Individuals, 15% earned revenue by FY27.
ity Impact
n diversifying partnerships, expanding the curriculum, growing a diverse volunteer olunteer retention. Strategic Goal: 48 classrooms, 1,000 students by FY27; 100 book with 65% volunteer retention by FY27.
nce
ar focuses on evolving the people, processes, and technology behind SitStayRead. bly invest in infrastructure and capacity building to support organizational growth ability by FY27.
