Before the formation of the Charleston Promise Neighborhood, Charleston County Schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley asked the Coastal Community Foundation to help the district find a way to strategically use volunteers to help make great gains in literacy.
The answer was the creation of Charleston Volunteers for Literacy (CVL) in January 2008. Its research on successful volunteer-based literacy programs identified the Charlottesville, Virginia Book Buddies program for 1st and 2nd graders to replicate in Charleston. Book Buddies is based on sound research, best practice, and measured results.
It has been replicated around the country, and forms the basis for Experience Corps volunteer literacy programs in 23 cities. CVL has been providing the Charleston Book Buddies solution to CPN elementary schools Mary Ford and James Simons for the past two years.