Planning for the CSUSM America Reads program began in 1996-1997 and primarily involved service learning faculty from the College of Education, Dean Steve Littly (COE), the Financial Aid Office, and the Office of Community Service Learning. This planning was coordinated with the CSUSM Pre-Collegiate Academic Development program which also involved COE faculty as well as faculty from Literature and Writing and Mathematics, and staff from Student Outreach.

The result from the planning was the development of two service learning courses (one for America Reads and a second for PAD). America Reads Tutors are required to take their course during their first semester of work, as well as a second semester follow-up/monitoring course. The America Reads course teaches students about literacy development and provides training on tutoring, learning, and professionalism.

There are 25 work study students who perform 20 hours per week of literacy assistance in some 20 elementary schools located in Escondido and Oceanside. Students are selected from the list of potential work-study students who are Liberal Studies majors (pre-teaching). They are invited to an orientation session and then must apply. They also go through an interview process before they are selected.

Community Service Learning Program website: http://www.csusm.edu/ocsl/