Read Better, Learn Better: Local Mentor Association Founded at Steinmühle

The Steinmühle recently served as the founding location for the association “Mentor—the Marburg-Biedenkopf Reading Tutors.” This initiative aims to provide support to children in the region who struggle with reading as they learn to read. And this support is more necessary than is often realized: Studies show that nearly 20 percent of all children still cannot read fluently by the end of fourth grade.

To help bring about change, Steinmühle has joined the association’s efforts. The Mentor Federal Association, founded in 2008, is supported by 12,500 people in 100 clubs across the country. Its members are dedicated to helping socially disadvantaged boys and girls learn to read.

After all, being able to read well and quickly grasp text and numbers is an important part of a student’s academic journey and the key to further education.

Currently, the reading mentors from the local area are working with six elementary schools in the Marburg-Biedenkopf region, one of which is the Steinmühle Bilingual School. Twenty mentors have already signed up to support the project on a volunteer basis. Courage and patience are the most important qualities for those who want to help as mentors. Janine Neckenich, director of the bilingual elementary school program at Steinmühle, serves on the board of the Marburg-Biedenkopf Reading Mentors. The board also includes Inge Maisch (chair), Dr. Michaele Künzel, and Inge Kachel-Moosdorf.

The Steinmühle’s involvement with the local reading tutors had paved the way for the founding celebration to take place at the Steinmühle. The Steinmühle jazz band, led by Frank Wemme, provided the event with a fitting musical backdrop. Host Inge Maisch and Steinmühle School Principal Björn Gemmer welcomed entrepreneur Karin Ahrens, as well as Biedenkopf-based children’s book author Andreas Steinhöfel and TV host Hülya Deyneli—both of whom had agreed to serve as patrons—to the event.

The fact that various donations came in from several different sources served as a source of motivation for all those who were currently working hard to launch the Reading Tutors Initiative in Marburg-Biedenkopf as well.

Anyone interested in taking on the role of a mentor to support children who struggle with reading is welcome to contact us here: inge.maisch@perspektivenundberatung.de.