How the Avangrid Foundation and SMART Reading Help Children Discover the World Of Reading
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Books hold the power to teach us important lessons, transport us to new worlds, and deepen our understanding of those different from us. Exposing children to the world of books inspires creativity and establishes a passion for learning that will last a lifetime.
However, reading is more than just a catalyst for creativity, itās an early gateway skill that paves the pathway for future success. Without it, children are simply less likely to graduate high school, find employment, or avoid other hardships like poverty, homelessness, hunger, and injustice.
Each year on March 2nd, millions of people across the United States take part to celebrate the power of reading on Read Across America Day. As a leading clean energy company, AVANGRID is dedicated to supporting the communities we serve and developing the leaders of the future.
Thatās why for nearly a decade the Avangrid Foundation has partnered with SMART Reading to work toward a future in which all children are able to realize their full potential through reading.
SMART Reading is an award-winning nonprofit organization preparing thousands of children at Oregonās highest-need schools to be motivated, successful readers.
In the last 7 years, the Avangrid Foundation has granted SMART Reading $238,000 to support SMART programs in 5 different cities across the state of Oregon where AVANGRID has a presence: Portland, Condon, Klamath Falls, Prineville, and The Dalles.Ā In addition to the grant, our employees have volunteered their time to restore donated books and participate in virtual reading sessions with students.
AVANGRID proudly partners with SMART, to help be a part of the solution to improve child literacy rates as kids arenāt meeting reading benchmarksāin Oregon or nationally.
A research-based program that identifies reading motivation and enjoyment as influential factors in a childās reading success, SMART Reading works alongside schools and teachers to provide two key services: access to books and one-on-one reading time. Every child served in the gets to pick out two books each month to keep and add to their personal library. Volunteers facilitate reading sessions designed to help kids have fun with books.
SMART Readingās model works. Over the past three decades, SMART has read with more than 260,000 kids and given away over 3.2 million books. Teachers consistently report that by the end of the year, 9 in 10 students participating in SMART Reading grow in their enjoyment of reading. Weāre proud to partner with SMART Reading to help children realize their full potential and become tomorrowās leaders.
