The United Way of West Central Mississippi and the city of Vicksburg, in November, teamed up to address the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on local students’ reading skills.

Although still in its infancy, the COVID Educational Enhancement Program is already making a difference. More than 100 students, who have been participating in the after-school programs have gained an average of 5.5 months of reading skill in two months, UWWCM executive director Michele Connelly said.

“The Post-COVID Educational Enhancement Program is a testament both to the power of collaboration and innovation as well as our community’s dedication to our children,” Connelly said. “By partnering with the city of Vicksburg, we’ve been able to create a program that’s as unique as our community, and we’re excited to see Post-COVID Educational Enhancement Program’s impact take root as it continues to grow.”

Connelly said the program, which she described as an innovative literacy intervention program, utilizes curriculum from Voyager Passport, a comprehensive K-5 supplemental reading intervention program, to train academic guides to support students through high-dosage, small-group tutoring.

To measure their reading growth, Connelly said, students are tested before, during and after the program.

“These test results are also used to create an individualized reading library for each student, introducing children to books that are not only age- and reading level-appropriate but that speak to their own unique interests,” she said.

Connelly said the UWWCM was approached by the city of Vicksburg after seeing the effectiveness of a similar program the United Way had implemented and offered funding to support pandemic-related learning loss in grade K-3.

On Feb. 1, 2022, students who were the top-performing participants in the Post-COVID Educational Enhancement Program were honored and recognized for their outstanding improvement in reading skills. Awards were also presented to the students by Mayor George Flaggs.