Community volunteers are returning to Spring Branch ISD schools as Reading Buddies begins another year. Each week, volunteers spend time reading with second-grade students, offering encouragement, an opportunity to practice and a familiar face who looks forward to seeing them.
Launched in 2019, Reading Buddies is one of SBISD’s premier volunteer opportunities. Volunteers commit to 30 minutes a week throughout the school year. Their time supports the district’s literacy priority and connects community members directly with the students they serve.
Those relationships matter, too. Alongside the care and support students receive from their families and teachers, a Reading Buddy is another adult who shows up, listens and takes an interest in what a student is learning.
Meeting regularly gives volunteers and students time to get to know one another, notice progress and celebrate the moments when a student grows more confident.
The Education Scorecard, a research project involving Harvard University, Stanford University and Dartmouth College, highlighted Reading Buddies in its 2026 profile of SBISD. It reported that 88% of participating students showed gains in oral reading fluency.
The profile also noted the commitment of the program’s volunteers: More than 60% of the 340 volunteers it counted had served for at least two years.
“We’re excited to see so many community members in our schools helping students build their reading skills and showing them that their community cares about their success,” said Christopher Marroquin, SBISD director of Community Engagement.
“When a volunteer shows up week after week, that student gains another person in their corner. This work supports our literacy priority and our vision of T-2-4 for Every Child.”
As this year’s Reading Buddies get to know their students, each visit brings another chance to read together and strengthen a connection. Community members interested in joining them can learn more on the SBISD Reading Buddies website.
Interested in volunteering in SBISD? Learn more.