ReadersPLUS Tutors Come Together to Build Reading Kits and Community

What happens when you combine pasta, conversation, and 500 literacy kits? For USC’s ReadersPLUS tutors, it became an evening of meaningful connections and purposeful work that extended far beyond a single gathering.

This fall, over 30 ReadersPLUS tutors came together for a special mission: assembling hundreds of “Fizz Box” literacy kits, generously donated by a ReadersPLUS alum now working with Mexico Aprendiendo. These innovative boxes, filled with letter cards and literacy materials, will support the program’s ongoing tutoring efforts across our local partner schools.

But before diving into the assembly work, tutors gathered around steaming plates of pasta. This intentional start addressed a common request from tutors who rarely get to interact with peers working at different school sites. Over dinner, they shared experiences, swapped tutoring strategies, and built connections that would strengthen their collective impact.

The assembly process transformed the space into a bustling workshop. Some tutors tackled box construction, carefully folding and applying colorful exterior stickers. Others meticulously sorted uppercase and lowercase letter cards into complete alphabet sets, while another group filled the finished boxes with materials. Throughout the evening, conversations flowed naturally between tasks—discussions about USC classes mixed with tutoring tips and the latest music releases, creating an atmosphere of both productivity and community.

The project’s scope extended beyond the initial gathering. In the days that followed, coordinators and tutors from various sites continued to visit the ReadersPLUS office, working together to complete and distribute the remaining boxes to their school sites. This ongoing collaboration highlighted the dedication of ReadersPLUS tutors to both their work and their community.

These literacy kits will now become valuable tools in ReadersPLUS tutors’ work with K-5 students, enhancing their ability to support young readers. But perhaps just as valuable are the strengthened bonds between tutors who, despite working at different sites, share a common mission of fostering literacy and learning in their community.

The evening demonstrated that sometimes the most meaningful community building happens not in formal meetings, but in the simple act of working side by side toward a shared goal. For ReadersPLUS tutors, assembling literacy kits became an opportunity to build not just educational resources, but also lasting connections within their own tutoring community.