Program Highlights 2011 – 2012
	- 72% of participating elementary students met their personal reading target. - Half of participating students moved out of their bottom 20% of their grade in reading. - The average reading score on the standardized test increased by 21.3 points. - Five students moved from academic warning to approaching grade level. - One student moved from academic warning to exceeding grade level.

	Program Highlights Fall 2012
	- 17 of 18 participating elementary students increase their standardized reading scores. - 5 of 18 students increased by an entire category in reading (category being warning, approaching,    meets, and exceeds). - 1 student even moved from academic warning to exceeding grade level! - 7 of 7 teachers whose students participated in the Sonya Project said that they believe that their students    reading skills improved because of participation in the Sonya Project. - 7 of 7 teachers also said that participation in the Sonya Project helped their students build character (i.e.    improved behavior and attitude). - 17 of 18 volunteers rated the project as four or higher on a five point scale. - 16 of 18 volunteers want to participate in the program again in the future.

	Praise from Volunteers
	"My student said he never read and had no favorite book and now he says he reads at home and has many favorite books." “He was always excited to see me, not just because I got him out of class or was older or because I was something other kids didn’t have, he was excited because he was getting better at reading and having fun while doing it.” "My buddy said she has never had a friend like me" "My buddy was eager to learn more about me which enabled me to start connecting with my buddy." "My buddy's reading level has increased along with his confidence in pronunciation. His love of reading is inspiring."

	Praise from Teachers
	"What a great project! This extra reading time and support was a great experience for the students selected!" “All students showed significant growth in their reading!”     For more information about the Sonya Project, please contact Katie Brunk at 217.245.3571 or katie.brunk@ic.edu.