Orange County Schools Announces Reading Tutoring Initiative In Partnership With BookNook

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C., March 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Orange County Public Schools (OCS) today announced a new effort to support students with their reading development through a large-scale tutoring program targeting over 1,000 K-8 students across the district.

Students will be tutored in small groups, three times per week beginning in early April and running through the end of June. Instruction will take place via Zoom both at home and at school, depending on individual student circumstances. Students identified by a teacher as needing additional reading support will be prioritized for enrollment.

"If your child doesn't like to read, struggles to read, or needs to read more, then BookNook is for you," said Dr. Monique Felder, Superintendent. "Reading is the foundation for all learning and OCS is committed to ensuring that every student has what they need to become a confident lifelong reader."

To operate the program, OCS will partner with BookNook, the nation's largest provider of remote reading instruction capacity for schools and nonprofits. Through its patented synchronous instruction platform for PreK-8 reading and nationwide network of trained and vetted tutors, BookNook is able to provide an online tool perfectly suited to the needs of students for live, impactful teaching.

"Now is the time when students need the personalized touch that only real, human teaching can provide," said Michael Lombardo, Founder and CEO of BookNook. "We are excited to see districts like OCS stepping up to meet this moment and finding innovative ways to address the opportunity gap that has been exacerbated by the pandemic."

About OCS

Orange County Schools educates more than 7,200 students in 13 schools. We are proud of and embrace the diversity of our students and families:

• 52% White
• 26% Hispanic
• 14% Black
• 7% Multi-Racial
• 1% Asian

About BookNook

BookNook is a social enterprise on a mission to close the reading opportunity gap by using technology to provide every student access to world class teaching, whether at school or online. Founded in 2016, BookNook has quickly grown to partner with hundreds of schools, school districts, and nonprofits across 35 states. It has received national recognition for its impact on students' reading growth and its unique equity-based pricing model.

Contact: Melany Stowe

(919) 732-8126 ext. 10006 |  melany.stowe@orange.k12.nc.us

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SOURCE BookNook Learning