Teachers, please join us for New Haven Reads’ Summer Teacher Open House on Saturday, May 21st from 11 AM to 3 PM. The Book Bank will be closed to the public so that you can browse to select free books for your students for summer reading.
***Please note that you MUST RSVP to attend. We no longer have a time limit for teachers, but we will have a limited capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions, so we cannot allow anyone inside the building without a ticket.***
Marty has been volunteering with New Haven Reads for about 7 years. Marty decided to start volunteering after hearing about NHR through the Yale Club of New Haven. To him, New Haven Reads sounded like a very rewarding program. He spent three years volunteering at our Dixwell location before becoming a tutor at our Willow Street location.
Marty has worked with many different students over the years. When asked what keeps him coming back to NHR, Marty responded with “the amazing feedback that I get from the students.”
Marty’s favorite book is Catch 22, while as a child, his favorite book was The Jungle Book.
Helena has been tutoring at Bristol Street and online for about 4 years. She began her journey at New Haven Reads in the spring of 2018. “I wanted to give back to the community and I was excited to do so through reading, an activity that I love pursuing myself,” says Helena.
Helena’s passion for giving back to the community through reading is what attracted her to New Haven Reads. It has been her experiences with the amazing kids at New Haven Reads that keep her coming back over the years. Helena describes a time that she has discovered a shared interest with a student. “The student I tutor is a bright kid with a passion for animals and science in general.” Helena, a PhD candidate in neuroscience, says she enjoys explaining things in a kid-friendly way and sharing scientific knowledge.
When asked what her favorite book was, as a child and now, she responded by making note of her love for Harry Potter books or anything fantasy. As a child, Helena spent hours reading them secretly at night when she was supposed to be sleeping. Currently, she still enjoys reading fantasy and sci-fi, but has expanded her reading interests into other novels and literature.
Isabella has been a volunteer at Bristol Street for eight months. She began her journey at New Haven Reads as an intern for her Psychology program at the University of New Haven. “I chose New Haven Reads because I love working with kids and I knew it would be a rewarding experience. I couldn’t have been happier with my choice!” says Isabella.
While at New Haven Reads, Isabella has displayed her versatility. In addition to tutoring, she has also been frequently sought out to translate newsletters and phone calls for our Spanish speaking families. Describing this experience, she explains that “it was nerve-wracking at first because I am not completely confident in my Spanish, especially when taking phone calls. After a while, I learned that it was irrelevant whether I spoke flawless Spanish or not. Instead, what matters is that I am assisting these families in getting the most out of their New Haven Reads experience. I am aware that many families who work with New Haven Reads do so in their native language. I believe I am assisting those families and the program in communicating more effectively.”
When we asked Isabella what keeps her coming back, she responded with her reason being because “I wanted to keep the bond as well as the progress I created with my students. I couldn’t bear to miss out on watching as their skills grow.”
When Isabella was a child, Number the Stars was her favorite book. Her favorite book today is The Help. The books that move her while providing insight into real life issues are her favorite reads.
Keriany has been a volunteer at Science Park, Willow and Bristol street for 7 months. She discovered and started this journey with New Haven Reads as a volunteer at our Science Park location in the fall of 2021. “As I continued to provide my services at New Haven Reads, I immediately knew that I wanted to continue helping children read,” says Keriany. As a result, she pursued an internship for the Spring 2022 semester.
Following this transition into an internship, Keriany is now working with students at Willow and Bristol street as well. “Being at Willow has given me the opportunity to help English as Second Language learners. This is a special moment because I was a Dual Language Learner during my childhood,” she says. “Now I am able to help translate conversations between parents and directors on sites and think outside the box to create engaging sessions to practice comprehension or morphology. But the most fulfilling part is to help encourage our children to become future leaders,” Keriany explains.
When asked what keeps her coming back, she responded with, “A sense of purpose is what intrigues me to assist in serving the community at New Haven Reads. My soul is filled with joy to see children improve in their speech, while having fun. That is the reason why my heart’s desire is to do this every day.”
Her “all time favorite book as a child” was If You Give a Moose a Muffin by Laura Numeroff. Currently her favorite book is Still Me by Jojo Moyes, which is a part of a trilogy that she finds fascinating.
Thank you! We are so grateful for your support for New Haven Reads in the Great Give 2022!
Your gift will support our Pre-K and Kindergarten summer literacy programs that will help prevent summer slide!
Thank you so much for supporting our students as they work hard this summer to prepare for the next school year!
April is Volunteer Appreciation month! Our volunteers are the heart and soul of New Haven Reads. We are sharing some of our volunteer spotlights to help celebrate!
Check out a few of our past spotlights and stay tuned for our Spring picks!
Written by: Isaiah Cunningham, NHR Tutor and intern.
New Haven Reads is continuing their awesome opportunity for students in K-5th grade to participate in our virtual field trips along with receiving books to add to their at home library. There are still spots available for teachers and students who have already participated in our virtual field trips.
Our virtual field trips are similar to our in-person field trips. Teachers receive up to five books for each student to take home during these virtual field trips.
Within the 30 minute to an hour period of time our Book Bank Director, Victoria Smith, reads stories to the students via google meet.
“We are excited to be able to present these field trips to students with an opportunity to receive books as well as an experience to have someone else other than their teachers to read to them,” says Victoria Smith.
There are still plenty of open spots for our virtual field trips! Visit our New Haven Reads website, then click on the program calendar, in which you can sign up for a virtual field trip event. You can also click the following link.
Written by: Isaiah Cunningham, NHR Tutor and intern.
New Haven Reads is showing their gratitude and appreciation to the volunteers who have continuously supported New Haven Reads and our goal of developing a community of confident readers and expanding book access.
“We at New Haven Reads are so thankful to have such dedicated and involved tutors and volunteers. We are elated to have this opportunity to thank them for their time and effort”, says Fernanda Franco, Outreach Director at New Haven Reads. New Haven Reads is a non-profit organization that relies heavily on volunteers. Our volunteers are our heart and soul of New Haven Reads and we are honored to have them be a part of our team. Therefore, we are awarding navy blue fleece jackets with the New Haven Reads logo on the left chest area to our volunteers with three or more years of service. “I absolutely love the idea of providing volunteers with fleece jackets. These volunteers provide an invaluable service to the community, and it feels wonderful to see their efforts recognized for it,” says Aimee Curtis-Travaglini, Bristol Site Director.
New Haven Reads is always looking for ways to recognize the contributions of our volunteers. Volunteer support is integral to our success, and we’re proud to give them the recognition they deserve. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with New Haven Reads, please click on the link here.
In celebration of Read Across America day on Wednesday, March 2nd, The Study at Yale invited guests to join in supporting a local youth literacy partner. Study Hotels is hoping to take their brand’s love of reading and transform it into a real difference maker for Read Across America Day and New Haven Reads.
Since 1998, March 2nd is annually recognized and celebrated as Read Across America Day, inaugurated by the National Education Association to highlight the importance of reading. Throughout the month of March, The Study at Yale invites guests to join them in supporting New Haven Reads by making a donation.
Students from New Haven Reads designed bookmarks that will be distributed to all guests throughout the month.
We are so excited to celebrate Read Across America and partner with The Study at Yale!
Monday: 1pm-7pm
Tuesday: 1pm-7pm
Wednesday: 1pm-7pm
Thursday: 12pm-6pm
Friday: 12pm-6pm
Saturday: 10am-2pm
Please call to confirm that these hours are accurate. Hours are subject to change when we are on break. All break hours are posted in the scrolling header here on our website, as well as our social media.
45 Bristol Street
New Haven CT 06511
203.752.1923
EIN 760807330
New Haven organizations donating books, technology (WTNH 11.13.25) A Storybook Season: The Study at Yale and New Haven Reads (Info New Haven 10.28.25)
Founded to share the joy and power of reading, New Haven Reads partners with the community to provide free one-on-one tutoring, educational family support, and a book bank to empower aspiring readers to master the literacy skills needed to thrive in school and life.
Check out our latest video here!
