For 34 years, SMART Reading has partnered with local elementary schools and preschools for weekly one-on-one reading with volunteers. Students in the program can select two new books each month to take home. Last year, SMART reached more than 1,000 students at 22 Central Oregon schools. More than 13,800 new books were given away.
Three years ago, SMART merged with the Children’s Book Bank, which collects, cleans and refurbishes gently used children’s books. SMART is now in the early stages of replicating that model in Central Oregon. The Book Bank will operate in addition to existing school-based programs.
Organizers are hoping to collect at least 2,500 books this school year. SMART Reading’s Communications Director Phoebe Petersen says the program is especially in need of board books for toddlers and picture books for early elementary students. SMART accepts books for children from birth through middle school. Last May, SMART held its first schoolwide book fair in Central Oregon at Culver Elementary School. Peterson says that school doesn’t have a volunteer reading program. She says SMART hopes to expand book fairs to other local schools.
“We’d love to be able to double the number of students we can provide books to each year because the research is so definitive — access to books at home leads to stronger reading performance,” Petersen says. A news release cites a 2020 study in the Journal of Global Health that found the likelihood for children being on track in literacy nearly doubled if at least one book was available in a student’s home.
SMART Reading is a statewide nonprofit that serves children in the highest-need schools and communities. Since 1992, volunteers have tutored more than 158,000 children. Nearly 5-million books have been given away.
A donation drive for new and gently used children’s books is underway through the end of August. All donated books will be sorted and cleaned before being given away. There are three drop-off locations in Bend at the SMART Reading office, Play Theory Café and Strictly Organic Coffee Company.
This article appears in the Source Aug 14, 2025.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
