United Readers is back in Northern Nevada for the 2025-2026 school year, following a funding announcement from United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra (UWNNS).
The program, known as one of the nation’s most effective literacy interventions, had previously been ordered to pause operations in April.
On August 5, UWNNS was notified that an AmeriCorps grant of up to $570,000 would be made available to support the program. The grant is administered by Nevada Volunteers, which has partnered with UWNNS since the program launched.
AmeriCorps is the federal agency that connects individuals and organizations through service and volunteer work.
“We are so excited to have United Readers back in schools throughout Northern Nevada for the upcoming year,” said Krystal Nevada, Senior Director for United Readers. “After fighting to save this program since April, it is refreshing to see an investment in education being made back into our community.”
During the 2024-2025 school year, United Readers served more than 700 children and achieved an 84% success rate in improving reading skills by at least one level.
United Readers plans to resume in October, with operations across four counties. Program leaders expect to place more than 25 mentors in over 10 schools.
“We are excited about taking this step towards bridging education gaps in the state, but we also know there is more work to be done,” said Blake Pang, CEO and President of UWNNS. “The funding allows United Readers to operate at about half the capacity it had last school year, which is an incredible thing, but it could be even better.”
The program had previously received some support through state-level legislative appropriations. In the 2025 legislative session, a bill to expand United Readers statewide, sponsored by Senator Angie Taylor and co-sponsored by Senators Lisa Krasner, Lori Rogich, and Jeff Stone, failed to pass due to budget cuts linked to reduced tax revenue projections.
UWNNS says its long-term goal is to continue expanding the program to reach more children across Northern Nevada.
