Transforming the lives of young students one book at a time, Reading Buddies is a club at Scarsdale High School whose mission is to develop education and literacy throughout Westchester. This club is not just about reading books—it is about building connections and bridging educational gaps within the community. “It’s important to promote literacy and education throughout the whole community, not just in areas that have more resources than others,” Joyce Liu ’26, the club’s vice president, explained. 

Aiming to make an impact locally, Scarsdale students visit Las Hermanas Mirabales, an elementary school in Yonkers, each week to help students growing up in areas with fewer resources get access to the education that they deserve. They spend an hour with these younger students, reading books, tutoring them, playing educational games with them, and making learning a fun and exciting experience. Not only does this club allow students to give back to their community, but it also provides them with an opportunity to form connections with younger learners through the sharing of knowledge. 

“It’s a great way for Scarsdale kids to understand the privilege they have and to use this privilege to help the greater good of our community and to learn new perspectives,” Kayla Jakubowicz ’25, one of the club’s co-presidents, commented. 

Currently, Reading Buddies is promoting literacy through their book drive for Global Citizenship Day. For this specific book drive, all the donations will be given to 914 Cares, a nonprofit organization based in Westchester dedicated to helping reduce financial stress, meet practical needs, and foster respect within the community. The books will then be distributed to local schools and libraries. Students can support the book drive by donating books in new or used condition.

If you are interested in joining the club, Reading Buddies meets every Monday at 3:00 pm in the Brewster Commons starting in mid-November to travel together to Yonkers. Other ways for students to foster a love for reading in our community and encourage literacy include reading with other people, supporting local libraries, and donating their books.

“The most rewarding part has been making connections with younger students and seeing the real impact that I have on them in their education,” Liu shared. “Seeing them progressing in their math homework or seeing them learning new vocabulary words, and also the emotional impact making them smile and laugh when we’re just talking about their day, [is] really fulfilling.”