An innovative reading program that pairs struggling readers with community volunteers may be looking for you.

"We would like for Project More to become a buzzword in Worthington," program coordinator Kathy Moore told the Worthington Board of Education on Monday.

The program already serves students in eight Worthington elementary schools, but could be expanded to more schools and more students if volunteers step forward.

The goal is 1,000 volunteers, Moore said.

The concept is simple, but its results are remarkable, said Worthington administrator Jennifer Wene.

Young elementary students with special needs work one-on-one with volunteer reading mentors 30 minutes a day, four days a week.

They work on specific, prescribed skills in books designed to master those skills. When one book is complete, the student moves on to the next step.

"We've seen tremendous growth through the year," said Polly Bates, the Project More coordinator at Granby Elementary School, where 38 students are paired with 108 volunteers.

Besides adults from the community, volunteers at Granby include sixth-graders, middle school students and high school students.

In some cases, sixth-grade special education students work with second-grade special education students. The results can be heartwarming to watch, she said.

Like many volunteer jobs, the mentors often receive as much as they give, she said. And the students value the relationships as well, Wene said.

The program's educational value is also simple, Moore said.

"It works," she said. "We're meeting the needs of these students who we always worry about."

Volunteer mentors have already been recruited from Rotary clubs, Partners for Citizenship and Character, Leadership Worthington, Care after School and the Griswold Center.

More are needed. Volunteers can give as little as an hour a month, and will be trained.

Board member Jennifer Best is a Project More mentor.

"It is one of the most worthwhile projects I have ever done," she said.

The program originally received state funds, but those have dried up, Wene said. The cost is approximately $1,200 a building for materials. Teachers who act as building coordinators are paid $500 each through performance contracts paid by the board.

The Worthington Educational Foundation is considering taking over part of the cost.

"We will find a way to continue to fund this," she said.

To volunteer for Project More, contact Kathy Moore at kathymoore123@gmail.com.

cbrooks@thisweeknews.com