- q: What is Everybody Wins!?
- Everybody Wins! is a national literacy and mentoring organization dedicated to increasing children's prospects for success in school and life through one-on-one reading experiences with caring mentors. EW! was founded in New York City in 1991 by Arthur Tannenbaum, a retired businessman. In the spring of 1995, U.S. Senators James Jeffords (R-VT), chairman of the Subcommittee on Education, Arts and Humanities, and Paul Simon (D-IL), along with a bipartisan coalition of 130 Senators and staff, helped launch Everybody Wins! DC (EW!DC), reading with 100 District of Columbia students at Brent Elementary School on Capitol Hill. In the fall of 1995, led by Representative Ray LaHood (R-IL), the House of Representatives joined this fight against illiteracy.
EW!DC currently runs three programs: Power Lunch, Readers Are Leaders and StoryTime.
- q: What are Power Lunch, Readers Are Leaders and StoryTime?
- Power Lunch is a read-aloud program in which volunteers are paired one-on-one with Title I public elementary school children. Volunteers visit their students at schools close to their work places for one lunch hour a week. Power Lunch reading partners share good books, conversation and good times. Everybody Wins! DC currently operates Power Lunch in 11 schools in Washington D.C., Montgomery County, MD and Arlington, VA.
- Readers Are Leaders matches older and younger students for paired reading in communities where adult volunteers are not available. Readers Are Leaders teaches older students leadership skills and provides them with opportunities to build their self-esteem. At the same time, it gives younger students a positive role model in their own schools and lets them enjoy the attention of one-on-one reading time.
- StoryTime brings storytellers to Title I public elementary schools that are not served by Power Lunch or Readers Are Leaders. Once a month, storytellers, local authors and other performers visit the schools to share the joy and magic of storytelling with children in 1st through 3rd grades. Often the performances are interactive, calling upon the children to play musical instruments, make sound effects or dance. Afterwards, the children receive new books to take home.
- q: How do you decide which schools have these programs?
- Schools are selected by their Title I status, location and interest in participating in the programs. All of our Power Lunch schools are near businesses, government offices and nonprofit groups that provide Reading Mentors for that program. Title I schools that are not within easy commuting distance of such organizations are eligible to participate in our Readers Are Leaders and StoryTime program.
If you think your local school would benefit from a Power Lunch, Readers Are Leaders or StoryTime program, we encourage you to ask your Principal to contact EW!DC. Opening a school is contingent upon recruiting volunteers and/or finding sources of program support.
- q: How are students selected for the programs?
- EW!DC encourages teachers to refer children who might benefit from additional reading time and/or one-on-one relationships with a caring individual. Student participation in our programs requires parental permission.
- q: What are the proven results of Everybody Wins! DC?
- The U.S. Department of Education sponsored an evaluation of the EW!DC Power Lunch program. The study found that children in the Power Lunch program, particularly those reading at the lowest levels, experienced statistically significant gains in academic performance and classroom behavior. Additional benefits include improved reading attitudes, enhanced self-esteem and increased library use.
- q: Do you provide books for your programs?
- Yes! EW!DC provides a library of books for the use of our program participants at each of our Power Lunch and Readers Are Leaders sites. Additionally, children participating in our programs receive three new books a year to help them build their own home libraries.
- q: Do you accept book donations?
- Yes! EW!DC relies on the donations of generous individuals and organizations to make our important book distributions happen. We only accept new books. Please call (202) 216-9467 for more information on donating books.
- q: Can I volunteer with the Everybody Wins! DC Power Lunch program?
- EW!DC volunteers are employees of our corporate and nonprofit partners, staff of the House, Senate, military services and members of various other groups. All volunteers must be in good standing with their employers. EW!DC takes care to ensure the safety of each child in the program. Click here to see if your employer is on our list of participating companies and organizations.
- q: How can I get my employer involved?
- Corporate, government and nonprofit partners provide EW!DC’s Power Lunch program with volunteers. In turn, EW!DC manages Power Lunch for volunteers, taking full responsibility for administration and coordination of the program. Employees enjoy a pleasant and rewarding community service experience, miss little to no work time, and feel excited to be a part of an organization that supports and encourages them to participate in this type of activity. If you are interested in helping to bring your employer on board, please contact Lucinda Mulzac at (202) 216-9467, Ext. 206.
- q: How do I become a volunteer?
- Individuals volunteer only through the support of a partnering organization.
- If you are interested in changing a child’s life with a book and some good conversation for just an hour a week, check our list of participating organizations to see if your organization is already a partner. If it is, fill out our application. If your organization is not a current partner, contact EW!DC or have the appropriate person at your office contact us.
- After filling out the application, you should hear from one of our staff members within 10 days. EW!DC provides an orientation and written materials for all Reading Mentors before they start reading with their student partners. Also, the EW!DC staff at each Power Lunch site provides ongoing support to Reading Mentors throughout their participation.
- q: I don't think I can join as a Mentor right now. Are there other ways to support EW!DC?
- Yes! You can:
- Hold a new book drive or donate new books to EW!DC libraries or for students to take home during the school year.
- Donate funds to support our programs.
- Volunteer at one of our special events. Please contact Roopa Purohit at (202) 216-9467, Ext. 204 to make arrangements to help.
- Donate supplies for our programs: Pens, pencils, markers, crayons, etc. are always appreciated. Please view our wish list.
- q: Are there Everybody Wins! programs outside the Washington Metropolitan Area?
Yes! We have affiliates in 17 other states. For a list, please go to www.everybodywins.org.
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"I love this program. It helps me get better with my reading. I learn new words with Everybody Wins!"
"I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my lunch hour!"
"My student has jumped leaps and bounds in her reading confidence."
"It's going to be great when summer's over and we can read again together."
"I came to Everybody Wins a young girl who didn't like reading and I'm leaving as a girl who loves books and everything about them."
"He told me on his last day that he wanted to go to college and read and learn math!"
"Most of all, I will remember enjoying the improvement I witnessed over the past two years!" and Amonie Carrington (student).JPG)
"I like when my reading partner reads to me and I get to learn to read when I read back to her."
