My name is Ahmad Aissa. I moved to the USA in 2011 from my home country Syria. I identify and an Arab American and Arabic is my mother language. Even as an adult, it hasn't been easy for me as an Arab to be in the USA, especially in NH. I wanted to read to Arabic-speaking youngsters because I believe it is important to be proud of who you are.
What is CY Reads?
CY Reads is an initiative to meaningfully engage students during the pandemic when they are really struggling with disengagement. City Year New Hampshire will bring together enriching content through selected books, diverse readers and exciting presentations, and multi-lingual recordings to help promote student engagement. The CY Reads experience creates a space where students can connect and find belonging alongside their peers, hear and read stories representative of their backgrounds, and grow in literacy skills. This virtual library of read-aloud videos for grades 3 to 6 will be used in extended learning time to enhance student connection to learning. The read-aloud videos will be facilitated by City Year AmeriCorps members who already have existing relationships and have been supporting student engagement and learning since the beginning of the school year.
