Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs How the dedication of Charlotte the volunteer is helping students become proud, confident readers
17 March 2025
Every time Charlotte picks up the phone to call her reading buddy, she’s doing more than helping her read. She’s laying the foundation for her future success, one conversation at a time.
Charlotte is a 14-year-old volunteer reading buddy in our student2student program. She helps younger students facing disadvantage who are at risk of falling behind at school. By improving their literacy skills, she ensures they can keep up and reach their potential.
The student2student program encourages students to take risks and tackle new challenges in the classroom, and to gain more confidence in themselves and their abilities. The extraordinary results students are reaping in learning programs like this simply couldn’t happen without incredible volunteers like Charlotte – and you!
It feels so good to see my buddy improve week after week. I love hearing how she’s become more confident reading aloud in class or reading to her mum and making her proud. It makes me proud too.
On their regular calls, Charlotte helps her buddy gain reading skills and confidence she can takeback to the classroom. Over the 18-week program, Charlotte will make 54 calls, providing her reading buddy with many hours of valuable literacy support that she would otherwise go without. This highlights just how crucial volunteering can be in helping a student knock down the barriers disadvantage has placed in front of them.
Charlotte’s reading buddy looks forward to their calls, excited to share what’s happening in her day. It’s that simple connection that helps her buddy feel at home in the world of books and reading – and gives her the tools she needs to succeed with her reading.
After two years of volunteering, Charlotte loves these shared reading sessions more than ever. She can’t imagine stopping! “The main thing they gain is confidence,” Charlotte says. “They get so much more confident – not just in reading, but in talking with you, too. Their reading improves, and even their writing gets better. It’s amazing to see them blossom throughout the experience.”
Charlotte is one of many young Australians using their time and skills to support students who are being locked out of learning. She calls it a “great experience,” knowing that an hour a week is making a real impact on her buddy’s future.
It makes you feel more positive and happier throughout the week. I know I’m making a difference, volunteering is so important – especially in this program. You’re not just helping with literacy. You’re making a real difference – and that positivity spreads.
Read more student and family stories in our Autumn 2025 edition of Real People, Real Stories
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