The start of the school year is here. And volunteers are needed to help youngsters reach their academic potential.

The push is now on by Partners in Education to recruit at least 1,000 "Classroom Coaches."

Veronica Luna is helping Acser Lopez improve his reading skills. Last year, Luna met once a week with Lopez and two other students as a volunteer in the "Partners in Reading" program. The results are rewarding both emotionally.

"I really feel like I got to be part of their developing their love of reading," Luna said.

Such positive results are critical in the Austin school district where 60 percent of the student population lives in poverty. And 60,000 students are classified academically as "high need."

"This is an economic issue for Austin. For Austin to succeed economically, we have got to get our education levels up for all students," said Kathrin Brewer, Partners in Education.

As the school year begins, the non-profit Partners in Education is hoping to recruit 1,000 volunteers to be "Classroom Coaches."

"You don't have to prepare. You don't have to be a teacher. All you have to come with is a willingness to get to know a student and read with them," Brewer said.

"I will definitely return and I hope to encourage others to make that commitment 45 minutes a week," said Luna.

Forty-five minutes a week with materials provided makes it a simple commitment with impressive results. Acser Lopez is living proof.

"Now he's happy. He's excited. He's built friends throughout the school. He's sort of now the school mascot," Luna said.

Partners in Education started 20 years ago as Adopt-a-School and became a non profit three years ago.