Everybody Wins Vermont Inc

I'm starting my fourth year with my same mentee, a boy now in 5th grade. We have become very good friends in the process, conversing about anything with a level of interest that we both enjoy. Our activities include a lot of artwork and talking about art. Often, very often, I'm learning from him. I'm a retired architect and active artist and this mentoring relationship adds tremendously to my life, my sense of giving back to my local community and my belief that both mentor and mentee gain a lot from each other.

I have loved being a part of Everybody Wins VT! It's been a gift to me, and I love spending time reading with my Kiddo.

I started reading with elementary school students when I retired from full time work. Everybody Wins Vermont was already a well-established and much respected program matching adults with elementary school kids for an hour of reading, playing games, and just chatting during the students' lunch period or recess. I've done this with two students--two years with each. It has been a great pleasure and privilege to get to know these kids. They sign up because they want to, like being read to and like reading aloud to an adult, choosing the books to share, or doing some other activity that they choose. It's a joy to meet the kids; I think they are are or learn to feel comfortable and at ease with adults who are neither their teachers nor their family members, and vice versa.

I volunteered as a mentor last year with the Northfield Everybody Wins Vermont group. My meetings with my mentee each Thursday were high points in the week. It was so enjoyable to get to know my 10-year-old student and remember what it was like to experience life at that age again. Training and support from Melanie was excellent. She was prompt to answer emails, provide guidance, and respond to questions. I would recommend Everybody Wins to anyone looking for a way to give back to their local community.

Max Schlueter, Northfield Falls

I have had the privilege of experiencing the power of Everybody Wins Vermont as an EW VT coordinator for many years and now as a mentor. I know first hand how powerful and long lasting the effects of these wonderful relationships are for both the mentor and the mentee. Transmitting a love of reading through friendship and modeling is just amazing. It is a positive and meaningful program that participating students love, their mentors love, the teachers love and the families love. I wish every child could participate in Everybody Wins!!!

I’ve had the pleasure of being a reading mentor for Everybody Wins at Brookside and Waitsfield Schools for the past five years. EW has allowed me to give back to these schools and their students in such a simple and profound way; by sharing my love for reading and learning.

I have been reading with kids at the elementary school for a while now. Really missed it with the pandemic and am glad we are back up and running. I had the pleasure of reading with 3 kids over the years. First one was fun but she decided she wanted to be outside with friends instead. Absolutely no problem. The staff and I were in complete agreement and taught this girl how to leave with respect. She did great. I then picked up with another girl and we had 3 or 4 years together. She went on to Middle School and I got to read with her little sister for a couple years before the pandemic. That was all great! I really enjoy kids and their ways- we read and discussed, we talked about this and that, and we brought over one of her best friends when that friend's mentor had to leave a little early some days.

I have enjoyed reading with several young people over the past many years. It's awesome to share the love of reading, to watch them gain confidence when they read aloud with me, when they're ready to.

This is a wonderful way to share your love of literature with a child. The program is well run, and the weekly lunchtime reading sessions are always a joy.

Everybody Wins builds community and confidence through mentorship and reading - great program!

When I described Everybody Wins to my 10-year-old grandson, he immediately said, "I would have LOVED that when I was in second grade. I'd love it now. That's such a cool program." I look forward to meeting my mentee and having us learn, play, and enjoy books together.

Have mentored for the program in the past and are about to again. I have seen and experienced the joy and self confident it brings to the children being read to.
A program that works and needs to be supported

This is my second year as a volunteer at Waitsfield. The program is extremely organized and well run. I feel more connected to my community because I volunteer.

I love Everybody Wins Vermont. I have participated for several years reading with the same student since she was in second grade, watching her grow in her reading skills and taste in books. Kudos also to our local coordinator for keeping us going through Covid shut downs.

Delighted to have read first in person and then by sharing my page on Zoom for the last three years. My youngster outgrew the program- both by age and by being able to read faster to self than out loud with me. Looking forward to starting with a new student on Tuesday. It will be exciting to explore this child’s favorite topics and genres.

Wonderful organization providing a supporte relatinship between adult mentor and elemtarty age school child mentee

I have participated in Everybody Wins for several years. I feel supported as I volunteer as a reading mentor and enjoy the time I spend sharing the books with eager young readers.

I have witnessed firsthand the positive difference this program can make in the life and future of elementary students. Fostering a love of reading while strengthening the community means that, literally, everybody wins.

My daughter was enrolled with Everybody Wins through Thatcher Brook Elementary. She adored her mentor, Joan. It was heartbreaking when it stopped due to covid because my other daughter didn't get the chance to experience it. But, it is such a great program! My daughter loves to read and this enhanced her love for it! Thank you and all the volunteers for the amazing work you do!

I love the space Everybody Wins brings to children and mentors, I believe is a beautiful impact on kids' life

This organization is changing children's lives everyday! Mentors and mentees form very impactful, special bonds that last forever.

As a new employee I have been incredibly impressed with how dedicate all the staff are to the mission of the organization. So much thought and care are put into making the Everybody Wins! Vermont experience a great one for the children and mentors who participate. In addition, employees receive excellent support from all of the administrative staff.

Everybody Wins! Vermont has such a big impact on the lives of students. Not only do they get exposed to literacy activities every week, but they gain a valuable relationship with an adult who is not a teacher or parent. Students and mentors love the program and we are so lucky to have it in our Waitsfield community!

I love Everybody Wins! Vermont! I started out mentoring with their program in 2003, and was hired in 2016 to be a site coordinator for the program in one of the longest running programs they had ! Later, I was promoted to Program Manager. Now I get to visit all the schools and meet many mentors and the children they read with. It is so inspiring to watch and see the connections that these pairs make. Some of them last for years, and some beyond our program. This is a life changing program for some children, and it certainly makes a mark on the mentors, some who have been participating for over 20 years! That speaks to the impact that it has on its participants. Attached is a photo taken at our Annual Family Pizza party! What fun !

Everybody Wins! has been an amazing organization to work with and volunteer with! It is a highlight of my week, being able to get together with my mentee and read or let our imaginations do the work and create our own stories! Both help expand children's love of literacy, and it's so rewarding seeing them grow throughout the year. The coordinator at my school does an AMAZING job of organizing, communicating, and getting kids excited about the program. I hope this program will continue and expand throughout the state!

Lunch with my mentee is one of the highlights of my week! Our site coordinator creates such a welcoming atmosphere for everyone!

I'm a long time mentor with Everybody Wins, AND a parent of a mentee, and I love the program. I've deeply enjoyed getting to know other elementary school students, take a break from my work day, and read and play literacy games. I've brought in several co-workers to also volunteer and it's been a wonderful community partnership.

There were different activities along with reading. My son enjoyed these sessions.

I have been reading 5 years, except the last because of Covid. This last year, I joined the board and now serve as Treasurer. My first experience with this organization was as a reader where I was struck by how enthusiastic the kids were and how dedicated all of the volunteers were. Kids love this program, as they get to spend time reading with adults, and the program is aptly named as kids become stronger readers and adults many of whom do not have kids in their daily lives get a chance to stay connected with younger generations while also giving back to the community.

After joining the board, I gained a whole new appreciation for this organization and the work they do. From Leadership down to site leaders, these people put in a ton of hours of work, coming up with creative ideas to keep engagement strong between kids and volunteers. Everyone in this organization is deeply engaged in this mission and go out of their way to get the most they can for the kids and volunteers.

Truly a top notch organization.

I have been a reading mentor for about 16 years, except during Covid. I have read with many students and always find it so rewarding to be part of their lives even if it is 1 hour per week. I feel this is a very important program for children and I am proud to be part of it.

Sue A.

My kids have all loved reading with their reading buddy. It's one of the highlights of their week! Reading virtually with their buddies through the pandemic was so helpful; it kept my boys reading, focused, and maintaining a normal routine when everything felt so abnormal.

Because my children's grandparents are far away, the quality one-on-one time spent with their mentors makes my kids feel important and valued. This reading buddy takes time out of his schedule just for them!

Our Everybody Wins Vermont coordinator has been amazing to coordinate with. While juggles many kids and mentors through virtual reading sessions, she has stayed calm, cool, and made sure the kids got their reading time with their buddies. Thank you, Everybody Wins VT!

I've been volunteering with Everybody Wins for 6 or 7 years now and the weekly reading sessions are the highlight of my week during the school year. I love to share my passion for reading with the next generation, and it helps me feel like I'm making a positive impact in my local community. I've been very impressed too with how well the organization pivoted during the pandemic and managed to keep the program going online.

Everybody Wins Vermont is great! I was told about the program several years ago by a friend and have participated for the past three years.
2021 has been a challenge with zoom sessions, but the staff makes it work for students and volunteers.
It is stimulating, rewarding and fun. I encourage everyone to consider being part of this important effort.

I have been both a Board member and Mentor with Everybody Wins for many years now. It is wonderful, and I love, love, love doing it. I'm also a Superintendent, and I see the benefit directly to our students, as well as our mentors. Our work is all about relationships, and Everybody Wins builds, maintains, nurtures, and cultivates relationships!

This is a great organization to get children to fall in love with reading and stay in love with the activity as the kids get older. I had a daughter and two sons going through this program reading with the SAME mentor for 9 years in a row!!! This person changed the way my kids thought about reading, themselves, and the world around them.

I started with Everybody Wins Vermont in 2006 at Flynn elementary. I spent my first 3 years with a young man and I watched him grow and become excited about reading a young adult series starting with The Hatchet. Next I work with a few young students as we explored famous people through a young autobiographic series; including Dr. Seuss and Barack Obama. Finally I ended up at Edmunds school working with a young girl. I would read to her as she ate lunch and then we would either draw or play many games of UNO:) This program is amazing and has brought much joy to my life.

Everybody Wins pairs caring adults with elementary school-aged kids who would enjoy a one-on-one relationship with a mentor. The program has been very well organized and flexible during these pandemic times, and especially meaningful for those youngsters who are mostly homebound and hungry for outside contacts. My "mentee" has been a delight to see online every week, and it's been fun to accommodate his interests and share reading with him. I appreciate the program staff's ability to make the connection happen and be meaningful.

As a single person without children, I treasure the Everybody Wins program. The hour I spend with a mentee each week , talking, game-playing, or reading, is a welcome glimpse into the wonder of childhood, theirs and mine.

Neville Berle
Montpelier, VT

Both of my daughters have had wonderful experiences with Everybody Wins and the mentors they have come to know through the program. It has been so fun and special for our family and I am a very grateful parent having watched them thrive. We absolutely love Everybody Wins so much!

Everybody Wins! makes it so easy to connect with schoolchildren in your community and forge a relationship through reading. Even remotely we were able to read weekly and have fun together. I was impressed by the program's ability to adapt and still keep our time together fun and productive.

I love volunteering with Everybody Wins Vermont. When I decided to volunteer for Everybody Wins, I was merely looking for a break from my highly technical job. I found so much more with this nonprofit! I learned that many children involved with Everybody Wins are looking for a similar escape from school. They want us to read them silly stories in cartoon voices. They want to play fun games inside when its cold and take a break from their usual routine. I learned that so many children are looking for a dependable grown-up because not every child has a stable or supportive home. I was only asked to volunteer one day per week during the lunch hour, but I found that each time I came back the more I learned about myself, my student, and my community.

My daughter has had such a great experience with Everybody Wins Vermont! It has helped become a much stronger reader out loud.
To accompany this, as she has expanded her reading with her mentor, it has helped her talent as an artist as well.

During the pandemic, online learning was a challenge for everyone, but the communication that we had with Mollie and my daughter's mentor was more then we could ever ask for!

They offered great flexibility for her school schedule as well!

I am thankful for Mollie and Everyone at Everybody Wins!

Everybody Wins! is a mentoring program that fosters a love of reading and builds long-lasting relationships between elementary students and caring mentors.

I began working for Everybody Wins! just before the pandemic. As with many organizations during quarantine, we had to turn our in-person program into a virtual one in very short order. Our amazing team was able to put new programming together quickly and we were able to continue serving our reading pairs. The working environment is inclusive, supportive, and uplifting.

There aren't enough words to convey just how important these weekly meetings are, especially during a pandemic. I have been honored to witness incredible growth in students over the last year and a half. They are not only stronger readers, they have also developed incredible bonds with their mentors. Their self-confidence and self-esteem have blossomed and they are discovering how to be life-long learners.

Our mentors are an incredibly devoted team of caring community members. It's been a pleasure to work with such a passionate group of people who give freely of themselves for the benefit of young children.

For two years, pre-pandemic, I volunteered as a reading mentor in the Montpelier elementary school. For an hour each week, I and my fellow mentors were able to connect with our mentees to not only help them further the reading skills, but to connect with them and build lasting relationships. This program is a wonderful offering. It was well organized and has a measurable, positive impact on the student participants. It builds community, provides students with supplemental learning support - and it's fun!

This opportunity has been more rewarding than I can explain. Not only that, but the organization is professionally run by wonderful, caring people. I am so glad to be a part of it!

Everybody Wins! VT has been a great experience for me, I have enjoyed mentoring several children and have seen progress with not only reading skills but also writing skills.
Everybody Wins! VT was able to set up virtual reading sessions, which was great to see. The children were able to maintain contact with their mentor and get in their reading time.
I would recommend volunteering for Everybody Wins! VT to anyone who was interested in volunteering. The gratification I have gotten from reading with my mentee's has been amazing and because of Everybody Wins! VT I have been able to make a connection with these children and develop a healthy relationship with them. Most importantly the children enjoy meeting with their mentor's and have made significant progress and it's fun!

I have been a Mentor with Everybody Wins Vermont Inc for 3 years. The student that I meet with was in 4th grade when we first met. It has been fun to share time with her during the school year. we read to each other; played games; and this year she taught me how zoom and the white board and sharing your screen worked. It has been a pleasure to share the 45-60 minutes a week with a student. It is a fulfilling experience.

I highly recommend Everybody Wins Vermont Inc. Meeting a student for an hour a week is fun and uplifting.

Its is great experience and my son loved it and enjoyed reading.

My shy child benefitted greatly from one-on-one mentoring as she progressed through elementary school. I was encouraged to hear her talk confidently about the books and conversations she'd shared with her mentor. There was eagerness, joy, and a new friend. Now my daughter's off to college and I truly believe the support she received from Everybody Wins! set her up for success. It's an incredible program I recommend to everyone; parents, children, and volunteers!

EWV, Inc is a wonderful opportunity that allows adults to connect as a "Reading Buddy" to interested middle school youth. So much more than reading...We shared stories, played games, made art and became pals. My student was from a family with 4 kids and I was an adult who gave her my full attention. She was energetic, curious and fun, most of the time! I was her mentor for 3 school years. Kids are great and need to be able to think outside of the classroom box. EWV provides that for them.