LITERACY CONNECTS

STORIES THAT SOAR IS A LITERACY AND ARTS INTEGRATION PROGRAM THAT PROMOTES WRITING AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION BY HONORING CHILDREN'S ORIGINAL STORIES THROUGH THE ARTS. THIS FISCAL YEAR, THEIR PROFESSIONAL THEATRE PROGRAM INSPIRED 5,220 ELEMETARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN TO WRITE 7,254 STORIES, 324 OF WHICH WERE PRESENTED BACK TO STUDENTS VIA ON-LINE PLATFORMS, 95 THROUGH LIVE THEATRE, AND 10 THROUGH PUBLIC RADIO. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR MORE INFORMATION ON REVENUE AND THE VALUE OF VOLUNTEERS LABOR NOT REFLECTED ON THIS RETURN.

LITERACY CONNECTS' READING SEED PROGRAM TRAINED AND SUPPORTED 202 VOLUNTEER READING COACHES TO WORK ONE-TO-ONE WITH 605 KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE STUDENTS IN TITLE I SCHOOLS. THE STUDENTS WERE PROVIDED EXTRA SUPPORT IN IMPROVING THEIR LITERACY SKILLS AND DEVELOPING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOOKS AND READING THROUGH THE MENTORSHIP OF A CARING ADULT. READING COACHES CONTRIBUTED 10,843 HOURS OF SERVICE, RESULTING IN STUDENTS AVERAGING 18 HOURS OF READING SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. THE PROGRAM OFFERED A LENDING LIBRARY OF 19,000 BOOKS THAT MATCH STUDENTS' INTERESTS AND DISTRIBUTED OVER 15,983 FREE BOOKS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO HELP CHILDREN BUILD HOME LIBRARIES AND BECOME INDEPENDENT READERS SO THAT THEY CAN BECOME LIFELONG LEARNERS. THE OBJECTIVE OF READING SEED IN 2021- 2022 IS TO REBUILD OUR VOLUNTEER NUMBERS IN ORDER TO RETURN TO PRE-PANDEMIC SERVICE LEVELS. OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO EXPAND OUR INTENSIVE KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM TO INCREASE OUR IMPACT AT EACH SCHOOL, RESULTING IN AN INCREASED NUMBER OF STUDENTS READING AT GRADE LEVEL BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE.