Our volunteer readers are primarily from Corning Incorporated and the Corning Museum of Glass, but we are expanding. We are diverse. We like making a difference in the lives of children. The experience enriches our lives.  We have over 80 volunteers, and a few of them are shown in the picture below, taken at our 2017 recognition event.

​

Our Southern Tier branch of the Read In program was founded in 2012 by Harry Robinson, Millicent Owusu, and Leon Washington, all of Corning Incorporated.  The program started with the help of the Corining-Painted Post school district but has expanded to include schools from much of the Southern Tier.  In 2018 we read to 240 classrooms. We are proud of our program timeline, shown below.

​

We are seeking more volunteers! The program is growing larger every year with more schools asking to be included. We provide our volunteers with books and lessons plans. We also provide orientation training (an hour session) to new volunteers to help prepare them. They go to a school of their choice and read for two 30-minute sessions.

 

It is fun!  You ask the kids questions like "Why is it important to be kind?" "Do you think it's important to be a good citizen?"  The responses you get will often warm your heart.  Please consider joining our force of volunteers as we bring African American history to the schools and help to make the celebration of African American literacy a traditional part of Black History Month in the communities in which we live and work.

Harry Robinson, Corning Incorporated (Retired)

Kim Cobb-Cain, Corning Incorporated

Arnette Brooks, Corning Incorporated

Claire Warren-Ginnan, Corning Incorporated

Kevin Wasson, Corning Incorporated

Jennifer Kuhn

Olivia Khristan, Corning Museum of Glass