Today a reader, tomorrow a leader
ABQ Reads Celebrates Another Successful Year of Literacy!
The Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce’s Albuquerque Reads program celebrated the end of the program year in April at each school. The more than 20-year partnership with Albuquerque Public Schools provides one-on-one literacy tutoring for 30 minutes three times a week to around 200 kindergarten and first-grade students at Atrisco, Bel-Air and Whittier elementaries.
After delivering two books to each child monthly during the school year (a fiction and a non-fiction!), APS and the Chamber capped off the program year with celebrations at each school, along with book bags filled with summer reading and goodies from our sponsors to thank our tutors and students for all their hard work.
Celebrations kicked off at Atrisco, where Principal Yvonne Salazar noted the tutoring “creates something incredible. It builds confidence. It builds relationships. And most importantly, it builds a love for reading.” And site coordinator Erin Gonzales thanked the school’s teachers, support staff and tutors. “It takes a team to create an environment where students can grow and thrive,” she said, “and we are so fortunate to have such an amazing one.”
At Bel-Air, the Chamber’s own Scott Hindman, co-founder and executive director of Excellent Schools New Mexico and vice-chair of the GACC’s Education Bold Issue Group, joined site coordinator Sally Giannini to celebrate that ABQ Reads has been at Bel-Air more than 20 years, and to share that “we are so proud of the Class of 2026. We can’t do it without our dedicated tutors – many who have joined us here today, and some who have been with us from the start! We appreciate you, and please come back next year!”
And at Whittier, Paul Madrid, CEO of Madrid Wealth Management and chair of the GACC’s Education Bold Issue Group, joined site coordinators Sinta O’Connor and Robert Wengrod to celebrate students’ success. Madrid shared that “readers become leaders - it’s why we partnered with Albuquerque Public Schools on Albuquerque Reads more than 20 years ago, why we’re here today, and why we will be once again working with the amazing school site coordinators to go strong again in the fall. To do that we need more wonderful tutors like those here today – so please spread the word, tell folks how easy and rewarding it is to be a tutor, and tell them to check out ABQReads.com, where all the sign-up information is. That will help us give the gift of reading to more students!”
We’d like to thank all the generous sponsors of ABQ Reads this program year: Exxon Mobil, Sandia National Labs, The Daniels Fund, Hubbard Broadcasting – Channel 4, Albertsons Foundation, Hancock Family Foundation, Nusenda Credit Union, UMB Bank, Bank of Albuquerque, DSRM National Bank/Valero, WaFd Bank, Albuquerque Involved, United Way of Central New Mexico, Smith’s Inspiring Donations, Costco, Target, Bonita Melcher and Debbie Bryant. And everything from books, to cereal, to dental hygiene kits to kid meals was donated for tutor and student book bags by General Mills, Creston Books, Lisa Libraries, Read To Me, Pizza 9, Panda Express, Touro Dental College, Chick-fil-A, Dion’s, Nothing Bundt Cake, Jason’s Deli, The Education Plan, Intel and City of Albuquerque.
We look forward to another great program year starting in September! For more information on becoming a tutor and/or supporting the program, go to ABQReads.com.
Albuquerque Public Schools’ ABQ Reads staff gathered for a photo before the 2025-2026 end-of-year celebrations kicked off at Atrisco Elementary. From left, Whittier first-grade site coordinator Robert Wengrod, Whittier educational assistant D’Ann Gonzalez, Atrisco site coordinator Erin Gonzales, Whittier kindergarten site coordinator Sinta O’Connor, Bel-Air educational assistant Julie Sena, Atrisco educational assistant Linda Saiz and Bel-Air site coordinator Sally Ginannini.
Atrisco kindergarten students read and sang at their end-of-year celebration.
The Del Norte High School Dragon swept into the Bel-Air Elementary celebration to give kindergarten students high-fives for their reading skills.
Highland High School’s Herbie the Hornet congratulated the Whittier Elementary kindergarten and first-grade students on their hard work over the ABQ Reads program year.
The Rio Grande High School Ravens danced with the Atrisco kindergarten students in celebration of their literacy work.
Career Guidance Institute - Albuquerque Reads is a 501(c)(3), and we appreciate any gift that helps ensure students get high-quality one-on-one literacy tutoring and take-home books to start their own home library. Our Tax EIN is 85-0323322. Thank you!
Any supply donations may be dropped off at the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce M-F. Please call first to make sure someone is there to receive donation, 505-764-3700.
How Does ABQ Reads Work?
Volunteer tutors commit 1.5 hours a week to tutor two Kindergarten or 1st grade students, one-on-one, for 30 minutes each. Lessons are scripted by a certified APS teacher and structured into three 10-minute segments―reading, writing, and skills development.
What If I Can’t Commit To 1.5 Hours Each Week?
You can still be a change-maker! An option is to form teams of up to four volunteers. Select the day of the week that works best (Tues., Wed., or Thurs.). The 4-person team rotates their members volunteering on this day throughout the month. This lessens the time commitment to 1.5 hours per month per volunteer
Does the Program Make a Difference?
ABQ Reads provides young learners with meaningful opportunities to build confidence, develop reading habits, and strengthen foundational literacy skills. Through one-on-one sessions with trained tutors, students engage in reading aloud, guided comprehension conversations, and journaling activities that reinforce understanding and expression.
The program is monitored annually by Albuquerque Public Schools to better understand how these literacy-rich experiences contribute to students’ reading development. While APS continues to study long-term impact, school leaders, tutors, and families consistently report increased student engagement, growing confidence, and stronger participation in reading.
Grow their creative confidence
Each creative activity is an opportunity for a child to embrace a new challenge. Through hands-on learning, a child is more likely to remain engaged and to build upon their creative problem-solving skills.
Learning together
In-person activities encourage little ones to become better independent learners, ABQ Reads is a special opportunity for you to work together with an APS child.
Sponsors
