Read to Succeed (RTS) today announced the addition of Regina Avancena as an AmeriCorps Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) supporting the expansion of the Experience Corps Literacy Tutoring Program in Buffalo and Niagara Falls City Schools.

Avancena’s primary role is program and technology optimization within the AARP Foundation Experience Corps program; directly supporting older adult volunteer literacy tutor mentors. Her responsibilities include expanding program capacity, optimizing policies and systems of volunteer support, and improving technological components of the AARP Foundation Experience Corps program.

“Regina will be instrumental in our expansion of high impact tutoring enabling Read to Succeed to serve more struggling students in Buffalo and Niagara Falls. She will assist in the support and training of the nearly 150 dedicated volunteer tutor/mentors who will be working one-on-one with students to improve their reading skills,” said Read to Succeed Executive Director Anne Ryan.

Last school year 137 tutor/mentors provided 15,000 individual tutoring sessions to 346 below grade level 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-graders in Niagara Falls and Buffalo City Schools. Seventy-three percent of program students exceeded national benchmarks in oral reading accuracy on district administered assessments.

“The VISTA position, part of the national AmeriCorps Program, is intended to support not-for-profit organizations in their work to improve the conditions that impact economically disadvantaged families.  Its goal is to make sustainable changes in areas that affect poverty, including education, public health, climate, access to benefits, and more. We look forward to learning from and with Regina as we expand the Experience Corps high impact tutoring program in Western New York,” added Ryan.

Regina is currently working on completing her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at the University at Buffalo.