I. Reading Ambassador Training

People who volunteer to become Reading Ambassadors undergo a two-day in-person training that prepares them to build a successful reading circle in their community. This training provides a deep-dive into developing the skills needed to read aloud to children, the capacity to manage their library, and the knowledge and confidence to engage the community and gain support, as well as into the science and research behind the program. Trainees come out of the workshop not only understanding how to be effective Reading Ambassadors but with insight into the longer term impact that their actions will have for themselves and the children they read to.

The majority of volunteers are women, many of whom are mothers themselves, wishing to provide the children around them with a positive connection to books and a form of entertainment in a place where often there is nothing to do. These trainings create a space where they feel emboldened to share their own ideas and form new bonds. While RAs are not paid for their work, they receive ongoing support from WLR as well as the WLR community through the Global Ambassadors Network (GAN), an online and mobile application that connects the RAs to one another and allows them to input data related to their reading sessions in order to track their progress. (For more details on GAN, please go to the GAN section on page 7.)

WLR invites anybody interested in becoming a volunteer. We have found that people exhibiting the following criteria enjoy the greatest level of success and continue their reading circles for longer periods of time:

1. Literate (can read and write)
2. Loves children
3. Enjoys reading
4. Desire to serve their community
5. Dedicated to the WLR mission

Through this training, we expect the following output and outcomes:

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II. Training of the Trainers (TOT)

TOT is WLR’s second program, which trains future Reading Ambassador Trainers. WLR provides this training for schools interested in training a large number of staff and/or family members. The four-day workshop provides the key background needed to train people to become a Reading Ambassador. It will include all that is outlined in the Reading Ambassador Training plus:

• How to convey the philosophy of the WLR program.
• Hands-on, scenario-based practice exercises.
• Building skills around training a group of people, implementing the WLR methodology and research.
• Leverage GAN to manage trainings and organize trainers.

As part of WLR’s grassroots approach, WLR partners with NGOs seeking to implement the reading method with their own programmatic activities. Our partners send a group of qualified staff interested in receiving the skills to train future ambassadors in the communities in which they live and work. This training is conducted as a project in partnership with an NGO. To date, we have:

• Trained about 100 staff members from the NRC, IRD, and Plan International.
• Enhanced these NGOs’ capacity to meet the needs of their target beneficiaries and widen their reach at a significantly lower cost.
• Provided the resources and materials to conduct their own trainings without needing to produce them separately.

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During a four-day training and a subsequent one-month practicum, participants learn the skills required to be a RA and how to impart these skills to their own future trainees. Those who complete the training and practicum become certified trainers of WLR RAs and members of the WLR Global Ambassadors Network (GAN) which gives them access to additional resources and support. RA Trainers must renew their certification every two years for a fee of 5000 USD (through their NGO). This accreditation is essential to ensure that trainers are implementing WLR’s most up-to-date methods and research, so that trainings are consistent across communities.

III. Online Training

WLR has developed an online training for individuals unable to attend an Ambassador Training in person. This is mainly available for people living outside of Jordan and is offered year-round, on a rolling basis. It is free for individuals.

The online training attempts to prepare Reading Ambassadors with the same skill level as if they had taken the training in person. Sections involve videos, exercises, and texts. At the conclusion, participants send a video of themselves reading as a final assessment, after which they will receive a certificate of attendance.

Those seeking to be Trainers of Reading Ambassadors must attend a TOT in person. We welcome opportunities to conduct a TOT outside of Jordan, and recommend that interested organizations reach out to us:

Phone: +962 079 885 9335

Email: admin@welovereading.org

Training Follow-Up

One month after trainees go off to build their own neighborhood libraries, a Training Officer follows up with them by phone to ensure implementation is going smoothly and to address any initial concerns or questions. A second follow-up phone call occurs two months later. Six months after the training, all the trainees come together for a focus group to discuss their experiences thus far. Reading Ambassadors also have the opportunity for an in-person visit by the Training Officer if they so choose.

Global Ambassadors Network (GAN) and GAN Management System

WLR created the Global Ambassador Network (GAN) to facilitate support between the RAs and the organization. RAs access the network through a mobile application, which allows them to connect with one another as well as receive ongoing support from WLR. RAs access GAN after conducting a reading session, inputting data from the date and time of the session to the number and gender of attendees. They also can post questions and share success stories. The application allows them and WLR to track performance so they can see the impact they are having on their community and WLR can identify successes and obstacles to overcome.

This virtual community facilitates capacity building, data collection, and documentation in addition to sharing best practices. This network works to inspire RAs to get to know and learn from each other. As WLR Ambassador Asma from Za’atari Camp in Jordan said, “I can talk to a WLR ambassador in Argentina!”

In sum, GAN is a means to:

• Offer ongoing support, providing the RA with the ability to contact WLR at any time.
• Collect data on the RAs, reading sessions, and participants.
• Build a community and a movement by connecting trained RAs from around the world who are passionate about raising reading levels in their communities.
• Disseminate additional resources on new literacy studies, best practices, etc.

To create an element of fun and motivation for the RAs, we have created a ranking system. Newly-initiated RAs begin at the first rank as Initiator. The more reading sessions conducted, the higher in the ranks they go.

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On the back-end of GAN is the GAN Management System, the platform that administrators use to manage reading activities. Through it, you will be able to:

• View in one place all your trained teachers and other Reading Ambassadors.
• Leverage data analysis tools to generate reports.
• Measure the impact reading sessions make on your students.