Make Reading Fun!

Reading with a child is only as fun as you make it. Be excited to read aloud with your student and they will be excited to read. Here are a few steps to make reading more exciting for everyone!

• As you read, follow the text with your finger.
• Read with expression.
• Children need to hear changes in your voice to indicate when you are reading dialogue
• Vary your pace.
• Slow down to build up suspense.
• Speed up during exciting scenes.
• Create voices for different characters.
• If you are reading about that silly character in the story don’t be afraid to use your silly voice.
• Be enthusiastic.
• If you are bored, your student will be bored
• Discuss the book.
• Ask questions!
• Enjoy the illustrations.
• Take the time to really understand the pictures.
• Change books.
• If the student isn’t enjoying the story pick a new one.  
• Change the story.
• Change a part of a familiar story and see if they notice. Also, change a new story by swapping in a word that is wrong and let them correct you. 

Showing kids that reading can be fun will inspire them to read on their own in the future!

April Showers bring May Flowers!

Hello, 

April was an exciting month for Everybody Wins! Iowa. Here are a few updates:

Everybody Wins! Iowa 

1. has almost 500 mentors signed up this school year. We have already surpassed last school year's (2012-2013) numbers and hope to reach our goal of 500 by the end of May. 

2. was awarded the Experiential Learning Community Partner Award from Drake University on April 15. This is a great honor for Everybody Wins! Iowa. Thank you, Drake University, for your tremendous support of our program. 

3. had two mentors recognized at the LIVE UNITED awards on April 22nd through United Way of Central Iowa: Hal Rusk, mentor with Children and Family Urban Movement and Kate Allen Jones mentor with Edmunds. This was a great honor for EWI and the nominees. The LIVE UNITED Recognition is United Way of Central Iowa’s tribute to philanthropic efforts and measurable community impact. This event honors the exceptional commitment of organizations and individuals.  

 4. received funding  from Warren County Philanthropic Partnership on April 24th to help grow our Indianola & Norwalk elementary schools. Norwalk and Indianola have only been a part of the EWI family for two years and with this grant, we will to reach out to attract more mentors to better serve Indianola and Norwalk and provide more books to their respective bookcarts. 

Make a Pledge to Help Kids Read!

Make a Pledge to Help Kids Read!

Birdies for Charities is a multi-level fundraising program designed to give  charity organizations the opportunity to receive contributions based on the  number of Birdies that Champion Tour players make during the  Principal Charity Classic golf tournament.            Click here to see where YOU can help Everybody Wins! Iowa:    You can give a one-time donation to Birdies for Charities, selecting Everybody  Wins! Iowa as the charity of choice, so students can continue to receive the help  with their reading skills from a caring adult.  Make a pledge for the tournament, based on the number of Birdies scored. For  example, if you pledge $0.05 per Birdie, for 500 Birdies, you would donate $25  to Everybody Wins! Iowa. Pledging $0.10 per Birdie for 500 Birdies would get  Everybody Wins! Iowa a donation of $50!   If Everybody Wins! Iowa reaches at least $1500 in flat donations, we will qualify  for Bonus Bucks, which means that we would receive an additional 25% match.  Copy and Paste the link to donate: https://events.r2it.com/birdies/DefaultPage/BirdiesDefault/Default.aspx?site=principalcharityclassic&siteId=55&charity=RebuildingTogetherGreaterDesMoines&charityId=56972

COLOR VIBE 5K RUN

COLOR VIBE 5K RUN

The Color Vibe 5K Run is coming to Des Moines on June 28th and is partnering with  Everybody Wins! Iowa!  For every runner that signs up, the Color Vibe will donate $1 to  Everybody Wins! Iowa.  Click HERE to register now!

Everybody Wins! Iowa at the Iowa Cubs game!

Come out to Principal Park the night of August 6th to support Everybody Wins! Iowa at the Iowa Cubs game as the I-Cubs take on the Fresno Grizzlies.

Game time is 7:05pm.

Tickets are $15 each.

Please mail cash or checks payable to Everybody Wins! Iowa along with your email address and phone number before July 29th to:

P.O. Box 691 Des Moines, IA 50303

Tickets will be available at will-call on the day of the game.

***Interested in participating in on-field promotions during the game? Let us know!***

If you have any questions please call us at:

(515) 277-7590

Everybody Wins! Iowa Welcomes Amanda Fletcher!

Please welcome Amanda Fletcher as the new Executive Director of Everybody Wins! Iowa!

Amanda comes to Everybody Wins! Iowa with more than 11 years of leadership and fundraising expertise; during that time she has been a leader, delegator, communicator, planner, organizer, and problem solver. Amanda most recently served as the Director of Gift Planning at Hope Ministries, but has also had roles in fundraising and program management at Mercy Foundation and Wesley Retirement Services (WesleyLife).

"I am thrilled to serve as the new Executive Director of Everybody Wins! Iowa. I look forward to working alongside a dedicated board of directors and many devoted volunteers who have a mission to 'increase children's success in school through reading and mentoring experiences'. I have spent my working (and volunteer) life finding ways to raise funds and engage volunteers to make a difference in the lives of others. I am excited to put this knowledge to use in order to expand the Everybody Wins! program to reach even more students."

Amanda will be at Everybody Wins! Iowa on Friday, June 24th. She will work with current Executive Director Tyler Weig to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities. Tyler's last day is Thursday, June 30th.

Amanda lives in Norwalk with her husband and three children and enjoys scrap booking, reading, exercising, and cooking.

Welcome, Amanda!

Thanks for the Feedback!

Everybody Wins! Iowa asks its volunteers to complete a brief confidental survey at the end of each school year.  

 

These survey results are used to improve our program and to ensure that our volunteers, schools, and students are having a high quality experience that is effective, safe, and fun.

 

After reviewing the volunteer survey results, volunteers cited the biggest room for improvement is the need for additional physical space.  "The area I read in is not too crowded or loud" received low marks.  We have worked with our schools over the past year to address this worthy concern and we see our work is not done!  We have been able to secure larger (and quieter) rooms within some schools, and we will continue to work on this issue. 

 

One area in which volunteers gave high marks is to the question "I enjoy my Everybody Wins! Iowa Power Lunch experience".  We work hard to help our volunteers, students, and schools enjoy this experience and we're pleased that folks "highly agree".

 

Most importantly, what do the children think?  The photo below says it all! 

 

Thank you for taking the time to help us improve our program!