By Denise Gary
Photographs © Robert Gary and Denise Gary
Kids Need to Read has received a $1,500 grant award from Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund for use in the expansion of “Reading Revolution,” the groundbreaking literacy program for middle school students produced by Kids Need to Read in partnership with Arizona State University and ASU Preparatory Academy, an inner-city charter school serving impoverished children in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. The 2012–2013 school year is the second year of development for the uniquely interactive three-year program that introduces disadvantaged middle school students to a highly engaging educational experience, while teaching them the impact of reading on every aspect of life. Standardized test scores indicated a marked improvement in literacy scores after the first year of Reading Revolution.
Weyerhaeuser, a forestry company known for its environmental stewardship and community involvement, plants trees, produces products from those trees, and replants trees in a continuous cycle of sustainability. The mission of Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund is to “nourish the quality of life in Weyerhaeuser’s communities, and foster the understanding that sustainable working forests meet important human needs.” Employees make funding recommendations according to the needs of their communities, supporting programs “which help cultivate growing minds and bodies, promote sustainable communities, and nurture quality of life in these communities.”
Kids Need to Read and Arizona State University sincerely thank Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund for their assistance in funding Reading Revolution for the children of ASU Preparatory Academy and the many others who will be impacted by this program in the future.
Reading Revolution Program Partners
Arizona State University
ASU Preparatory Academy
Reading Revolution Funding Partners
American Woodmark Foundation
Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation
Avnet Contributions Council
Cardinals Charities
Employees Community Fund of Boeing Arizona
Fry’s Fund
John F. Long Foundation
National Home Library Foundation
Otto & Edna Neely Foundation
Walmart Foundation
Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund
