St. Mary’s County Library Seeks Volunteers For Lexington Park Literacy Program

LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — St. Mary’s County Library is seeking volunteers to help strengthen reading skills among local students through its Story Champs literacy program, an initiative aimed at improving reading comprehension for children in afterschool programs in the Lexington Park area.

The library is recruiting community members to work with small groups of students using the Story Champs curriculum, a structured, research-based program designed to make learning reading skills engaging and accessible. No prior teaching experience is required, and selected volunteers will receive training and ongoing support from the library.

Story Champs focuses on foundational literacy skills such as retelling information, vocabulary development and writing — key components that help children better understand what they read. The program emphasizes building background knowledge and introducing new words in ways that support long-term reading success.

Volunteers must apply and interview for an afterschool program site, pass a background check and commit to two training sessions scheduled for Jan. 25 and Feb. 1, from 1 to 5 p.m. Participants are also expected to commit to six months of tutoring sessions, running from January through June 2026, one weekday per week from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Students served range from kindergarten through eighth grade.

“Reading is so fundamental, and we want to support children with their reading skills so that they find joy in books and learning,” said Amy Ford, branch manager of the Lexington Park Library. She credited the Maryland State Library Agency for funding the program and thanked local afterschool sites for hosting the initiative.

Those interested in volunteering can complete an application through the St. Mary’s County Library website. For more information, Ford can be reached at the Lexington Park Library at 301-863-8188.

You can watch a brief overview of the Story Champs curriculum below.