Today we’d like to introduce you to Ted and Stephanie Schweinfurth.
Ted and Stephanie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When we saw a space for rent in the Lakewest Town Center, we knew we needed to act. After years of mentoring West Dallas teens, we recognized that the children in the community did not have the literacy skills they needed to succeed in school.
Conversations with educators, West Dallas leaders, and families confirmed what we had observed: West Dallas kids needed extra help with reading and didn’t have a way to get it.
We took a deep breath and signed the lease in Spring 2011. We named the space in the shopping center Booktown, and with the help of one teacher and a committed group of volunteers, Readers 2 Leaders began providing after-school tutoring to neighborhood children.
Before long, the R2L team added additional staff and formalized a curriculum and program, called Team Read, that would help children measurably improve their reading scores. Today, Readers 2 Leaders continues to provide high-quality tutoring at Booktown, as well as at three elementary schools and three community centers.
Through Team Read In-School, Team Read After-School, and Team Read Summer Camp, R2L serves more than 400 students each year. We are proud to have the trust and respect of the Dallas educational community, and in 2017 R2L has begun providing training to the leaders of other non-profit organizations who wish to help their own students with reading. The incredible educators at R2L, along with the help of so many donors and volunteers, have helped hundreds of children succeed in school during six years of operation. It is hard to believe what our leap of faith has become, and we are so grateful!
Has it been a smooth road?
We worked hard to get the program off the ground and had our share of challenges in maintaining the funding we needed and creating the school partnerships that allowed us to reach more kids. Today, we are grateful for the staff at Readers 2 Leaders who do the hard work on the ground and allow us to support the organization in different ways throughout the year.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Readers 2 leaders – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Readers 2 Leaders is a non-profit program in West Dallas that provides high-quality reading tutoring to students through Team Read. This program has In-School, After-School, and Summer Camp Programs that meet students where they are and helps them achieve grade level. R2L is unique because our staff of trained instructors provide most of the tutoring with support from more than 200 volunteers who provide one-on-one practice. It is also the only after-school program in Dallas that is purely focused on reading!
We are so proud that R2L truly helps students learn to read. In 2016-17, students gained about 11 months of reading skills during just 7 months of instruction. Our summer campers gained 3.5 months during just six weeks of camp! That accelerated growth is what they need to be able to beat the odds and catch up to grade level.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Our favorite thing about Dallas is the way our amazing volunteers from all over the city come together to help West Dallas kids by reading with them one-on-one. Our least favorite thing is that only 40 percent of third graders are reading on pace to be ready for college, and that’s why we care so much about Readers 2 Leaders and its work to help kids in West Dallas read!
Contact Info:
- Address: 2223 Singleton Blvd., Suite 140
Dallas, TX 75212 - Website: readers2leaders.org
- Phone: 214-905-0095
- Email: info@readers2leaders.org
- Instagram: instagram.com/readers2leaders
- Facebook: facebook.com/readers2leaders
- Twitter: twitter.com/readers2leaders
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
