About Us

The Mission of the North Carolina Volunteers in Public Schools is to support Public Schools in their efforts to get students reading on grade level by the end of third grade. NC VIPS volunteers work with students at elementary schools with large economically disadvantaged populations to help children learn how to read. We provide a positive environment so that children understand their self-worth and understand the value of education. All volunteering is done at the direction of the students’ teachers.

Schools that we work with have economically disadvantaged populations as high as 76%. Resources in these schools are stretched thinly by state funding that ranks 48th in the country. The impact of volunteers can have a significant impact on students’ academic and life success. According to an Annie E Casey Foundation study, “One in six children who are not reading proficiently in third grade fail to graduate from high school on time, four times the rate for children with proficient third grade reading skills.” 

We started at Supply Elementary School in the Fall of 2024 because it had the highest percentage of economically disadvantaged elementary school students in Brunswick County. We hope to expand from there.