Service members will help kindergarten and first-grade students in Hamilton County Schools learn to read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2025
Media Contact:
Brandon Hubbard-Heitz
Chattanooga, TN – Chattanooga 2.0 is now accepting applications for 14 AmeriCorps members to serve in its Literacy First tutoring program during the 2025–2026 school year. AmeriCorps is a national service program that places members in community-based roles to address local needs. Chattanooga 2.0 piloted the Literacy First tutoring model at East Side Elementary in 2023–2024 and achieved promising results. Hamilton County Schools expanded the program to 12 schools in 2024–2025 with Chattanooga 2.0’s support and will continue operating it in 2025–2026. Now, with funding from a new AmeriCorps State grant through Volunteer Tennessee, Chattanooga 2.0’s service members will join the tutoring effort, too.
This effort will place 14 AmeriCorps tutors in four high-need elementary schools:
- Calvin Donaldson Elementary
- East Side Elementary
- Hardy Elementary
- Spring Creek Elementary
“Expanding access to high-quality tutoring during the school day is essential to achieving our goal of 70% reading proficiency in grades 3–5 by 2030,” said Brandon Hubbard-Heitz, Chief Strategy Officer at Chattanooga 2.0. “Community members can make that goal a reality by applying to serve as AmeriCorps tutors and unlocking a brighter future for students in Hamilton County.”
Applicants must be at least 17 years old and have a high school diploma or equivalent. This opportunity is open to those starting their careers, seeking meaningful work after retirement, or anywhere in between.
The program is built on the successful Literacy First tutoring model. Chattanooga 2.0’s AmeriCorps members will work with kindergarten and first-grade students one-on-one each day. They will follow a set curriculum and receive weekly on-the-job training from Chattanooga 2.0’s AmeriCorps Program Manager. Candidates who are accepted will receive:
- A living allowance
- Segal Education Award upon successful completion of service
- Access to professional development: training, coaching, and career support
- An opportunity to make a measurable difference in the lives of local students
“Preventing early literacy gaps before they widen is one of the most powerful ways we can change a student’s trajectory,” said Dr. Sonia Stewart, Deputy Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. “By coordinating our district’s Literacy First tutoring program with Chattanooga 2.0’s AmeriCorps tutoring initiative, we’re better able to directly serve our students through community partnerships with data-backed strategies that target and improve learning outcomes for the entirety of a student’s educational journey.”
Applications to serve are open now at chatt2.org/early-literacy-tutor-americorps-chattanooga/. Those unable to serve can help by sharing this opportunity with friends, family, and colleagues.
The AmeriCorps Literacy First tutoring program is made possible through a grant from Volunteer Tennessee with matching support from generous local funders including the Benwood Foundation, the Maclellan Foundation, the Tucker Foundation, the Howard Fund, and the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga.
For more information on Chattanooga 2.0’s literacy work and how to get involved, visit https://chatt2.org/literacy/.
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About Chattanooga 2.0:
Chattanooga 2.0 was established in 2016 and is a small nonprofit that works to change systems in order to impact generational changes in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, TN. The ultimate goal is to improve economic opportunity and quality of life — and Chattanooga 2.0 believes education attainment is the first step. From early childhood education to the attainment of a thriving wage career, the small team leads initiatives to remove systemic barriers and provide intentional support to children, students, and their families. For more information, visit chatt2.org.
