Sixth-grader Raymond Gordon said reading and math used to be a lot harder for him.
Thanks to an online program and the help of a resource center at Schofield Middle School, his reading skills have improved - and so has his attitude about reading.
On Thursday, Raymond spoke about his end-of-the-year project for the Education Matters Reading & Resource Center. The project included authoring his own work from beginning to end and helping to edit his classmates' work.
"My math has been increasing a lot, and I've had a great education here at the center," Raymond said.
Though the center focuses primarily on reading, volunteers have led the charge in helping students in other areas, as well.
Jesse Roach, a Savannah River Site retiree, has been with the center since November and said it's been beneficial for all the students.
"Raymond is understanding the concepts that go along with math comprehension. Recognizing those concepts can go a long way for students, and this center does a great job of pushing those initiatives," he said.
The resource center opened its doors in September and is designed to help local students, ages 14 and younger, with their reading skills through the Test Our Kids program. The program starts off students with basic tests to determine their strengths and weaknesses. Next, it generates a report showing where each child needs help, whether it's in phonics, reading comprehension, word recognition, etc.
Donna Moore Wesby, founder of Education Matters, credited Dr. Lloydette Young, principal of Schofield Middle School, with helping her get the resource center off the ground.
The two, along with families, volunteers and board members, have helped about 25 students with their reading skills, many of whom stayed with the program throughout the entire year.
On Friday, the celebration continued with a party at H. Odell Weeks Activities Center, followed by a summer break. But the summer will still involve work, as Wesby will be assessing data and how well the students actually improved.
"It's been a great year, and over time, we've really become like a family," she said. "They've worked hard, and it's really been showing in their work."
Derrek Asberry is the SRS beat reporter for the Aiken Standard.