Read Ahead is dedicated to helping New York City youth strengthen the reading and social-emotional skills they need to thrive in school and beyond. Since 1991, Read Ahead has connected public elementary school students with caring mentors from leading corporate and community partners. During weekly Read Ahead sessions, our mentors support children to grow their confidence, love of reading, motivation, and other skills essential for success. Over 98% of teachers would recommend Read Ahead to a colleague, and our proven, research-based program impacts the lives of over 1,000 children each year. The need for Read Ahead is especially urgent right now. Faced with the ongoing challenges of remote learning, devastating effects of COVID-19, and trauma of systemic racism, children need extra, individualized support to stay on track. To meet this moment, Read Ahead has developed a completely virtual program for the 2020-21 school year. Combining our 30 years of experience with new technology platforms and an educator-designed curriculum, Read Ahead will match children with supportive mentors for fun, live program sessions that build connection, confidence, literacy skills, and more.