Danya Sulaiman has learned a lot about teaching reading during her time as a middle grades English language arts and social studies major in NC State’s College of Education, but she wanted to get more opportunities to put the lessons she was learning into practice. 

When she saw an email advertising tutoring positions with NC State’s Community Allies for Reading Engagement (CARE), she knew it would be a perfect fit. 

“Tutoring has given me a chance to build my skills step by step and get comfortable working with students,” she said. “It’s helped me grow my confidence and figure out what works and what doesn’t, which I know will be really important when I have my own classroom.”

Designed by Professor Dennis Davis, Associate Professor Jill Grifenhagen and Assistant Teaching Professor Jill Jones—and part of the NC State Extension network—CARE launched in 2025 with the goal of teaching individuals with no or minimal training in reading education how K-5 students learn to read and how they can help those students improve their reading. 

Beginning in April 2026, the program expanded to allow NC State students to serve as tutors for K-5 students in the Wake County Public School System. 

For Julia Potter, an elementary education major in the College of Education, becoming a CARE tutor was a perfect opportunity for her to fulfil a desire to become more involved with local schools as she earns her degree. One of her favorite parts of being a tutor at Dillard Drive Elementary School, she said, is watching the students come to tutoring sessions excited to learn and then gaining confidence as they understand new concepts. 

“One of the most rewarding parts has been seeing students get excited to come in, even at the end of a school day. It can be a long day for them, so watching them stay engaged and enjoy working with their peers and me is really great,” she said. 

Seeing her students get excited about what they learn has been one of the most rewarding aspects of tutoring for Elizabeth McLean, who is in the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program, as well.

McLean recalled a recent day when one of her tutees at Washington Elementary School came in and excitedly shared that she used a reading method the pair had worked on together during a practice test and got all the answers correct. 

Seeing the kids’ she works with begin making progress in just a few short weeks, she said, has helped to give her confidence as a future English as a second language teacher. 

“The CARE program has helped me identify students’ needs and learn how to work with students in different situations and areas,” she said. “Although ESL is a different subject than reading, it incorporates similar aspects and goals. I think it has been helpful for me to help students learn to read and improve their reading in their own language before teaching to students where it is their second language.”

Sulaiman has seen similar excitement and progress from her tutees at Apex Elementary School. 

Over a series of weeks, a first-grade student she worked with would bring in a teacher-provided list of words and Sulaiman would work with the student to model how to break each word down by sounding it out and blending it together. Then, one Monday afternoon, the student came in with a new list and began working through the list on his own, using strategies he and Sulaiman had practiced. 

“I heard him slowly sounding out each letter and attempting to blend them together. I chose to stay quiet and let him take ownership of the moment. He worked through the word step by step, then looked at me for confirmation. When he finally read it correctly, he said, ‘I did it! I read a big word on my own,’” she recalled. “That moment felt incredibly rewarding. Seeing his confidence build in real time reminded me why this work matters. It is something I will carry with me throughout my teaching career.” 

Editor’s note: Initial CARE participants were funded through a grant from the Mebane Foundation.