Talkeetna reading program unlocks the right combination for success

With all of the scrutiny and challenges books and libraries have come under recently, one program in Talkeetna has been hard at work bring young readers together with mentors and organizations from throughout the community.

The Reading Mentors Program, a program by Friends of the Talkeetna Library (FOTL), works in collaboration with Talkeetna Elementary School, area homeschool families, Sunshine Transit, Upper Susitna Food Pantry, and Talkeetna Library. Teachers identify students who could benefit from additional reading practice.

“Students are identified that are at-risk for needing extra help developing their reading skills. And with this program, they are able to receive that 1:1 engagement with reading mentors from the community,” says Sandra Ehrlich-Mathiesen, President of the Friends of Talkeetna Library.

Ehrlich-Mathiesen explains that students engage in one-on-one reading sessions with community volunteers after school. During each biannual 7-8 week session, 15 students are transported to Talkeetna Public Library by Sunshine Transit, enjoy a snack provided by the Food Pantry, spend an hour a week reading to and with a mentor, and choose a new book or two to keep.

Now in its sixth year, the multigenerational program provides a comfortable environment for children to gain confidence and encouragement in reading.

“It is mutually beneficial to mentors and mentees. The buzz and energy from kids when they engage is amazing and it is magical when the kids come in to the library.”

Ehrlich-Mathiesen says that having an opportunity to see students go from struggling to read to opening up and engaging in reading is heartwarming, but it is more than just engaging in reading—it is building lasting relationships with people in the community.

“When kids open up, we know we’ve made lasting connection, and that impact ignites passion for lifelong reading. It is a mutually beneficial project for everyone,” she says.

Another part as FOTL that Ehrlich-Mathiesen is excited about it that at the end of each session, students get to take a book home and, she hopes, continue reading aloud, model what they learn to others who care about them and build their own libraries important to live in literacy-rich environment.

“We want kids to have something new, that they get to keep. Hopefully encourage others to read. The real joy is letting students choose books that spark their imagination, grow curiosity, memory, enhance their understanding of the world.”

This year, the Reading Mentors Program was honored for their collaboration and work, named with the 2024 Contributions to Literacy in Alaska (CLIA) Awards.

“We are just so honored to receive this recognition,” said Ehrlich-Mathiesen, who said that the program actually received dual nominations from Talkeetna Elementary and Talkeetna librarian Geri Denkewalter. “I think this truly reflects the community and how we come together, going beyond a direct impact and exemplifies the collective effort in addressing educational challenges.”

The CLIA awards honors collaborations among people, literacy, and literature, and along with the Reading Mentors Program, honorees also include the Anchorage Daily News, and authors Ann Fienup-Riordan, Alice Rearden, and Marie Meade.

The CLIA awards are presented annually by Alaska Center for the Book, Alaska’s liaison with the U.S. Library of Congress Center for the Book. Since 1993, the awards have been presented to more than 100 people and institutions making a significant contribution in literacy, the literary arts, or the preservation of the written or spoken word.

Awards were presented in Anchorage on July 14, 2024.

“We just want kids to achieve their full potential, and through this, they get a gift they get to open and reopen for rest of their lives.”