Proud to Be From Pittsburgh

Proud to be from Pittsburgh: Downtown law firm helping students learn to read

Every Tuesday at Eckert Seamans law firm in downtown Pittsburgh, employees spend lunch break feeding young minds. The law firm partnered with Reading Is Fundamental to get students from Manchester Academic Charter School bussed to their office every week for a reading program.

"It's been amazing to watch him grow and change, it is the absolute highlight of my work week," said reading volunteer Beth Brunins about her buddy, Braydon.

The project started more than a year ago with one second grade class. Now, those students are back and joined by a new class, teaming up with office employees to work on their reading skills.

"We had everybody who volunteered last year continued to volunteer this year," said partner Amy Roy.

Roy helped start the program, and says it's already making an impact. Some students even dressed up as lawyers for their Halloween session. Employees say the weekly sessions mean so much more than giving back. They've made friends with their student counterparts.

Reading Is Fundamental is already getting interest from other Pittsburgh companies to launch similar programs with schools across the area.

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