Vello is the innovative, 1:1 tutoring program from United Way that matches tutor teams with local classrooms for guided reading support. Vello mobilizes passionate professionals to tutor students in reading through a safe and secure digital setting. Together, students and tutors read e-books using super simple screen sharing and audio.
Check out the 2019 VELLO Impact Report to see how our communities are mobilizing to impact literacy.
The Vello program is a 1-on-1 online tutoring program that makes volunteering easy. It connects passionate professionals with kids in their community to collaborate on reading growth in real-time. Here’s how it works!
ONE
Local Companies Sponsor a classroom and form a tutor team of passionate professionals. Vello provides a background check, training, and full-time support so everything stays simple and easy.
TWO
Teachers post schedules and access teaching tools on the Portal. Then, tutors login to the classroom schedule and sign up for a 30 min reading session. Volunteers commit to one session each week. The Vello Portal provides ongoing support, data tracking, and simple cancellation and notification settings for all Vello users.
THREE
Tutors click a link to connect to sessions from their email or calendar – just like a webinar conference. The assigned Vello students will join from a secure computer inside their classroom. Through this simple screen share and audio, tutors and students read e-books, complete comprehension quizzes, and write summaries.
Did you know that kids who are reading below grade level in third grade are almost 4 times more likely to drop out of high school than their on-level peers? There are passionate professionals in the community ready and willing to help, but a lot of times the barrier of commutes and schedules make it nearly impossible. The Vello program is making a difference in three key ways.
Studies show that purposeful, 1-on-1 tutoring is one of the most reliable ways to improve reading outcomes. The Vello program brings the magic of real-time, online guided reading to more kids.
Nearly 30% of millennial volunteers would participate more often if there were easier ways to find opportunities and more flexibility. Online tutoring gives them both.
When kids become confident readers, they start reading more frequently. Studies show that the amount of time a student reads directly correlates to how well they do school overall.
Reading is the key to success. Kids can thrive in school and life when they have access to education, learning tools, and support from their community.