Behind the Book

Behind the Book is a non-profit literacy organization that inspires New York City public school students to love reading.

Through our rich, innovative programs, which are part of the class curricula and meet Common Core Learning Standards, accomplished authors visit high-needs pre-K-12 classrooms, where they teach a genre of writing and guide students in creating their own writing projects based on the theme of the author's book. BtB programs have a successful record of building comprehension skills and motivating engaged readers at schools around the city.

No experience or training is needed to volunteer as a writing or research coach, field trip chaperone, or in another active role to engage and encourage students as they work. You might help a small group edit a short story or essay, guide students in researching a topic, or supervise the creation of artwork to illustrate their writing. 

Classroom sessions run about 90 minutes on a school day, usually in the morning. You can participate in any number of dates in any number of programs, which are scheduled over a few weeks. With a fresh slate of authors leading creative, thought-provoking programs every school year, you'll find many workshops you'll want to support.

To join our team and receive announcements of new volunteer opportunities, please complete our brief questionnaire. You can also check our site for current volunteer opportunities inside and outside the classroom.

For more information, contact volunteer@behindthebook.org.