The BC Read Aloud Program is no longer recruiting volunteers for the 2024-2025 school year. Please visit this page this in September 2025 for more information about volunteering next year!
The Read Aloud Program is a beloved Boston College tradition: for more than twenty years, faculty and staff volunteers have been matched with classrooms in local elementary schools to share their love of reading and build connections between the BC campus and the wider community.
The Read Aloud Program is currently looking for volunteer readers for the 2024-2025 school year! See the boxes on this page for more information about the program, time commitment, and sign-up process.
Who can volunteer for the BC Read Aloud Program?
Faculty and staff from all Boston College departments and schools are welcome to serve as readers. No prior K-12 experience necessary! All that we ask is that you bring your enthusiasm for reading (and some books!).
Where can I find read aloud books at BC?
The Educational Resource Center is home to thousands of picture books and chapter books, with hundreds of new titles being added to the collection each month. During the program orientation, we'll explain how to search the library catalog, request items for pickup at any campus library, and use our read aloud database. Our resident children's literature expert, K-12 Librarian Bethany Campbell (campbeb@bc.edu), maintains a list of recommended recent publications, and is available to help you select the perfect option for your next classroom visit!
What is the time commitment?
Each reader is matched with one classroom, usually in a team of four readers who rotate reading weeks. Readers visit their assigned classroom once a month to read for approximately 20 minutes. Including travel time, we estimate that volunteering will take approximately 1 hour each month. Readers for a particular classroom may work together to swap reading weeks as needed, and teachers and readers may coordinate with one another to accommodate school events and holidays. Reading typically begins in October and ends in late May or early June.
Why volunteer?
Volunteering as a reader is an excellent way to live out the Boston College mission right here in the local community. The Read Aloud Program offers an opportunity to connect with local schools and students in a way that is immensely rewarding, despite the small time commitment each month. Several volunteers have been reading for decades and have built lasting relationships with the schools and teachers they have partnered with. Students are thrilled to see their readers each week, and often make special requests for particular types of books and ask when their readers will return for the next visit.
Step 1: Complete the Read Aloud Volunteer Form
Both new and returning readers should complete this form by Wednesday, September 18th to indicate their interest in reading, their preferred grade level(s), and their availability.
Step 2: Attend the Program Orientation Luncheon
New readers are required to attend the program's orientation luncheon (returning readers are very welcome to attend!):
Read Aloud Orientation Luncheon
Tuesday, September 28th, 2024
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Walsh Hall Function Room
If you have questions about the program, would like to volunteer but are unable to attend the orientation, or are interested in having BC readers visit your school, please contact:
Jessica Hinson-Williams
Head Librarian, Educational Resource Center
jessica.hinson-williams@bc.edu
617-552-1172
While volunteering with the Read Aloud Program is limited to BC faculty and staff, there are a number of ways for students to get involved on and off campus. Contact these campus offices for more information:
BC Volunteer and Service Learning Center
