To unite our community to improve people’s lives.

United Readers

Building K–5 students’ foundational reading skills through personalized mentoring.

How United Readers Works

Students participate in structured lessons to enhance their ability to hear and manipulate the sounds contained within words.
Dedicated Mentorship: Students engage in focused 30-minute sessions twice weekly with United Readers Mentors, promoting steady progress in foundational literacy skills.
Proven Success: 99% of participating students demonstrated improvement in their abilities.

Program Impact

Overall Program Data

Every session is a step forward. Some students need just 15 sessions to start making real progress and finish the semester ready to move on. Others stay with us all year, with 40 or more sessions of steady support. Here’s what a year of United Readers looked like:

TUTORING SESSIONS

HOURS OF TUTORING

AVERAGE SESSIONS PER STUDENT

Assessment Data

Each student needs to take an initial assessment, have ten lessons with a mentor, and then take a final assessment to qualify as making academic improvement. Six students were unable to be assessed twice (e.g., needed a few more sessions, moved, etc.)

STUDENTS SUPPORTED THIS YEAR

ACHIEVED ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT

INCREASE IN AVERAGE SCORE
(62% → 86%)

Growing Together: Jackson & His Student

Our United Readers mentor, Jackson, had a male first-grade student who is an English Language Learner (ELL). This student had issues focusing and reading in class, and though he could speak English, it is not his first language.

After 31 sessions in the first semester, he began flying through lessons. What used to take 30 minutes to complete was now only taking 10 minutes. An energetic student who was always excited to do lessons, he went from a 30% in the fall on their first assessment to a 90% on their final assessment.

His teacher (Ms. Santos) told Jackson he did really well on his reading MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) assessment. Initially, his MAP score was well below grade level, but by winter his MAP score was on grade level.

“The United Readers Program really helped me prepare for the workforce and helped me realize I enjoy helping the community. Through the workforce development tools I received, I was able to apply for a full-time position at UWSN and be offered and accept the role.”

Jackson

Growing Together: Katya & Her Student

Katya, another United Readers mentor from our first cohort, had a female kindergarten student. Since kindergarten students are beginning their first year of school, we typically do not enroll them until second semester as we see that the student is beginning to fall behind.

Through working with Katya in 25 sessions over the course of only one spring semester, this student went from a 2% on her first assessment (1 out of 60 correct), to a 57%. She would be recommended to continue the program in first grade.

“I was able to get another job in my desired field, and this would not have happened without this amazing experience. I was able to work alongside such amazing people and I have learned so much from them. They made such an impact in my life allowing me to grow and continue to learn.”

Katya

Meet Our Mentors

Catherine Burbank

Catherine Burbank is a United Readers Mentor, helping students in kindergarten through fifth grade build foundational literacy skills to strengthen reading fluency and confidence. She was inspired to join UWSN because of her children, who motivate her passion for supporting young learners. Outside of work, Catherine enjoys playing League of Legends and visiting theme parks. For anyone visiting Las Vegas, she recommends checking out the AdventureDome for a fun experience.

Elena Ladislao

Elena Ladislao serves as a United Readers Mentor, supporting students from kindergarten through fifth grade in developing foundational literacy skills and improving reading fluency. She joined UWSN because of her passion for helping others and her belief in creating meaningful impact in the community, especially for children who are the future of our society. Outside of work, Elena enjoys pretending to be dinosaurs with her 4-year-old son and singing with the Las Vegas Master Singers. When visiting Las Vegas, she recommends exploring the beauty of Red Rock or the Valley of Fire.

Katya Navarrete

Katya Navarrete is a United Readers Mentor, helping young students strengthen their reading skills by learning letter sounds and building confidence as they read. She was inspired to join UWSN because of the organization’s commitment to supporting the community, especially its dedication to helping children succeed in school. Outside of work, Katya enjoys reading and attending Pilates classes. When visiting Las Vegas, she recommends stopping by the Museum of Illusions, one of her favorite local spots.

See Our Schools

Nevada Rise Academy: Through rigorous academics, high-quality instruction, and intentional character development, Nevada Rise Academy Charter School places every kindergarten through 5th grade student on a path to college, and ensures each student has access to life’s fullest opportunities.

Vegas Vista Academy: Vegas Vista Academy breaks down the barriers set by traditional patterns of inequality through experience and education. We facilitate equity and access for all to a data- driven, world class curriculum focused on academic excellence, community service learning, bilingual fluency, and outdoor experiential education.