Read to Me Project (RtMP) helps under-served children achieve kindergarten readiness and a lifetime of literacy by empowering school age children to read to their younger siblings at home. RtMP also raises public awareness about the literacy crisis and the need for language development and pre-reading skills during a child’s first five years of life.
Literacy is more than an academic skill — it is a gateway to opportunity. Low literacy contributes to generational cycles of poverty, limited employment, and reduced access to healthcare. Read to Me Project is committed to advancing educational equity by providing no cost, inclusive and accessible literacy and pre-literacy programming to families and schools.
Read to Me Project’s Core Program is rooted in a unique leadership-through-literacy model that transforms struggling readers into confident mentors. Currently operating in 96 classrooms across Monterey County, the program identifies 4th–6th grade students who are often reading years below grade level and empowers them to become literacy leaders by reading aloud to their younger siblings as part of a structured, homework-based curriculum. RtMP also addresses the root causes of literacy inequity through parent education and outreach workshops, offering tools to families who may face barriers due to limited formal education or English proficiency.
In the 2025–2026 school year, Read to Me Project is committed to serving 100 classrooms and reaching approximately 4,000 youth across six key school districts: Greenfield Union, Alisal Union, King City Union, Salinas City, Monterey Peninsula Unified, and Soledad Unified School Districts. As demand for the program continues to grow, we currently have a robust waitlist and anticipate exceeding our 100-classroom goal. With our current pivot to a no cost model, there is a strong countywide interest in scaling the Read to Me Project and underscore our shared commitment to increasing early literacy access across all Monterey County communities.
With Read to Me Project, you are never alone in the literacy journey. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, RtMP’s early literacy model understands that literacy is not just a skill, but a catalyst for hope, belonging, and stronger communities. We are proud to partner with RtMP to ensure academic success for all students. - Monterey County Superintendent, Dr. Deneen Guss
- Dr. Deneen Guss, Salinas, CA
