We're now accepting Host Site Applications for 2026.

Why sign up to host Summer Reads Mentors?

• The difference between having Summer Reads Mentors and regular volunteers is that Literacy Minnesota offers mentorship, guidance, resources, training and more to your members.
• Summer Reads Mentors are Summer Associate AmeriCorps VISTA members who are dedicating themselves to about 40 hours per week of full-time service to your host site.

Why does Summer Reads costs money?
As part of your agency's commitment to host Summer Reads Mentors, who receive ample training before arriving at your site, the host agency contributes a cost-share financial match to allow our robust, development-focused programming model to continue.

For 2026, the cost-share rate is $500 per member.

Literacy Minnesota provides training, technical assistance and resources to you and the Mentors throughout the program.

What are the Summer Reads members' schedules?
Summer Reads members serve full-time for 8 weeks during the summer, June 15 - August 7. They must apply 

• Members average 40 hours per week.

Host sites should be able to provide a full-time service opportunity for the full 8 weeks (including time spent on planning, reporting, training and supervision check-ins).

Summer Reads Mentors will attend a weekly training on Fridays (by live webinar) to engage with the cohort and gain skills. They will also attend a robust Early Service Training before they are sent to serve children at your site.

What can Summer Reads Mentors do?
Summer Reads Mentors can work on literacy education in a variety of program contexts and subjects, from academic to enrichment-based and from one-to-one sessions to large group activities.

They bring literacy to life through many subjects, such as cooking, gardening, large motor recreation, homework help, tutoring, arts, drama, science experiments and more! Summer Reads Mentors support the curriculum and program model of your site.

What do you mean by “literacy education”?
Summer Reads members serve in nonprofits, public agencies or Tribal Nations to work on reading, writing, oral language and/or digital communication skills with children entering grades K-5.

What are a Summer Reads Mentor's responsibilities?
While at least 50% of member responsibilities should focus on children's literacy mentoring, you may additionally assign your Summer Reads members to work on other tasks in support of your programming and services, such as:

• wrap-around basic needs support services for students and families (e.g., food support, referrals to public benefits and other community services);
• parent education or family involvement;
• and behind-the-scenes capacity-building projects that you propose.

Check out this 5-minute video, featuring first-grader Savon at Keystone Community Services-West 7th Community Center, showing off how fun, engaging and effective learning with Summer Reads can be!

What are my responsibilities as a host site?
At a minimum, you can expect to:

• Designate at least one member of staff as the supervisor of your member(s).
  • This person must have sufficient time to provide meaningful supervision to the the member(s), including providing on-site orientation and an introduction to the organization.
  • This person must be able to submit a report of the impact Summer Reads had on their host site at the end of the service term.
• Provide members with an appropriate, on-site workspace; a computer; and a reliable internet connection.

For Summer Reads specifically, you will also pay a $500 cost-share financial match per Summer Reads Mentor.

Are Summer Reads Mentors paid? What do they receive for their service?
Yes! Summer Reads Mentors receive a number of great tangible benefits. All of the Summer Associate members receive:

• $1,100 living stipend every two weeks.
• $1,565 education award upon successful completion of service OR a modest cash stipend of $276.
  • The education award may be used for post-secondary education or to pay back qualifying federal student loans.

Literacy Minnesota additionally provides Summer Reads Mentors with:

• Weekly member trainings.
• Additional mentorship and educational resources, including a Literacy Kit.
• Access to an Employee Assistance Program.
• Participation in the Transit Assistance Program (TAP) for subsidized rides on Metro Transit.
• Service-related travel reimbursement to and from Literacy Minnesota-required trainings and/or events beyond their regular commute.