How READ Association of Saginaw County Helps Kids

Samantha Engel discusses the READ Association of Saginaw County, founded in 1966 to help children improve reading skills and discover the joy of reading. She shares her background as a historian at Dow Gardens and the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation, then explains why she joined READ in January 2024. The episode outlines READ’s core mentor program—trained adult volunteers paired one-on-one with students for weekly sessions during the school year—along with a structured tutoring program based out of the Family Literacy Center at 100 S. Jefferson using the Barton System of Reading and Spelling for students needing foundational support. Engel also describes the Raising Readers Academy, a multi-week family literacy program that works with parents on practical at-home activities to reinforce reading skills.

The conversation also previews National Reading Month events: free book fairs with vouchers for three new books per child on March 7 at Swan Valley Performing Arts Center (12–2) and March 14 at the YMCA in Saginaw (11–1), aiming to distribute about 1,500 books. Viewers are directed to follow READ on Facebook, visit readsaginaw.org, or email [e-mail] for mentoring, tutoring, and program information.

00:00 Welcome + Why We Love Books
00:11 READ Association 101: Mission & Impact
00:47 Samantha’s Background: From History to Community Work
03:43 Making History Human (Yes, Even Founding Fathers)
05:43 How She Found READ + What Mentoring Looks Like
08:52 Beyond Mentors: Tutoring & Raising Readers Academy
12:48 Giving Away Books + Libraries & the Libby App
15:16 Are Audiobooks ‘Real’ Reading?
16:11 March Events: Free Book Fairs & 1,500 Books
20:26 How to Get Involved + Final Thanks