Readers 2 Leaders

TO DEVELOP AND GROW THE READING SKILLS OF UNDERSERVED DALLAS CHILDREN AGES 3-12 SO THAT THEY SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND GRADUATE PREPARED TO LIVE PRODUCTIVE LIVES.

READERS 2 LEADERS (ORGANIZATION) IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION ORGANIZED IN DECEMBER 2010 LOCATED IN DALLAS, TEXAS. THE MISSION OF THE ORGANIZATION IS TO DEVELOP AND GROW THE READING SKILLS OF UNDERSERVED DALLAS CHILDREN AGES 3-12 SO THAT THEY SUCCEED IN SCHOOL AND GRADUATE PREPARED TO LIVE PRODUCTIVE LIVES. LITERACY IS A FIRST STEP TOWARD ENSURING ALL HAVE ACCESS TO THE FUTURE THEY DESERVE. ACCORDING TO THE ANNIE E. CASEY FOUNDATION, THIRD GRADERS WHO ARE BEHIND IN READING ARE 4-6 TIMES LESS LIKELY TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH-SCHOOL THAN THEIR ON-LEVEL PEERS. READERS 2 LEADERS HAS REMAINED LASER-FOCUSED ON REACHING CHILDREN IN THE EARLY ELEMENTARY YEARS AND SERVING STUDENTS WHO DONT HAVE ACCESS TO OTHER RESOURCES DUE TO ECONOMIC INEQUALITY AND SYSTEMIC RACISM. SINCE 2010, INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO BELIEVE IN LITERACYS IMPACT ON A CHILDS FUTURE HAVE COME TOGETHER TO SUPPORT R2L. BECAUSE OF THAT SUPPORT, CHILDREN BEAT THE ODDS.IN RESPONSE TO THE HEIGHTENED NEED FOR SUPPORT IN THE LATTER STAGES OF THE PANDEMIC, READERS 2 LEADERS DOUBLED ITS IMPACT. AFTER SERVING SIX SCHOOLS IN 2020, LAST YEAR R2L PARTNERED WITH 11 DALLAS ISD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND 1 UPLIFT EDUCATION CHARTER SCHOOL TO PROVIDE LITERACY TUTORING.THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES TWO MAIN PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO HELP CHILDREN GAIN THE CRITICAL EARLY READING SKILLS THEY NEED: R2L TUTORING AND R2L COACHING. R2L TUTORING IS THE ORGANIZATIONS DIRECT SERVICE PROGRAM AND PROVIDES SMALL GROUP AND ONE-ON-ONE READING TUTORING IN AFTER-SCHOOL, IN-SCHOOL AND SUMMER CAMP SETTINGS. IN R2L TUTORING, INSTRUCTORS USE RESEARCH-DRIVEN METHODOLOGIES SUCH AS REALLY GREAT READING AS WELL AS ONGOING ASSESSMENTS IN ORDER TO RESPOND TO EACH CHILDS NEEDS. IN THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR, R2L TUTORING AND ITS PARTNERS SERVED 1,100 STUDENTS IN THE DALLAS COMMUNITY.R2L COACHING PARTNERS WITH OTHER LOCAL OUT-OF-SCHOOL-TIME PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO INTRODUCE QUALITY LITERACY INSTRUCTION TO THEIR OWN PROGRAMS. R2L COACHING WORKS TO DEVELOP A CUSTOMIZED LITERACY INTERVENTION AND/OR ENLIGHTENMENT PLAN TO EXISTING CHILDRENS AFTER-SCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMS AND PROVIDES INITIAL AND ONGOING TRAINING TO KEY STAFF, AND WEEKLY COACHING AND SUPPORT AS THE PROGRAM IS IMPLEMENTED. OVER TIME, COMMUNITY PARTNERS STAFF HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE TO CONTINUE DELIVERING HIGH-QUALITY, RESEARCH-BASED INSTRUCTION ON THEIR OWN. IN THE 2021 - 2022 SCHOOL YEAR, R2L COACHING TRAINED 480 ADULTS IMPACTING 5,800 STUDENTS.R2LS IMPACT:WHEN AARONS FIRST GRADE TEACHER TOLD LUPITA THAT HE WAS NOT READING ON GRADE-LEVEL IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC, SHE ENROLLED HIM IN READERS 2 LEADERS FIRST VIRTUAL SUMMER CAMP IN 2020. AARON RETURNED TO SCHOOL IN FALL 2020, AND THE SAME TEACHER SHARED THAT AARON HAD ADVANCED OVER THE SUMMER!AFTER WITNESSING OUR PROGRAMS IMPACT, LUPITA CONTINUED ENROLLING AARON IN READERS 2 LEADERS TUTORING, AND SHE HAS NOTICED HIS GROWTH. BEFORE R2L, HE SHIED AWAY FROM WRITING. NOW, HE ENJOYS IT, AND HIS FAVORITE BOOKS ARE FLY GUY AND ANYTHING FEATURING SNAKES! READERS 2 LEADERS IS MADE FOR CHILDREN LIKE AARON, LUPITA SAID. HIS FIRST LANGUAGE WAS NOT ENGLISH, AND HIS PARENTS DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH, EITHER.WHEN LUPITA LEARNED THAT READERS 2 LEADERS COACHING HAD A SUMMER 2021 PROGRAM MADE FOR PARENTS, TOO, SHE WAS EAGER TO JOIN THE DUAL-GENERATION PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES LITERACY INSTRUCTION AND ENRICHMENT TO PARENTS AND CHILDREN. WHILE AARON WAS AT OUR SUMMER CAMP, LUPITA ATTENDED A VIRTUAL CLASS LED BY A READERS 2 LEADERS INSTRUCTOR THAT INCREASED HER KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH WHILE GIVING HER THE TOOLS TO SUPPORT HER SONS LEARNING, TOO. SHE SAID, ALTHOUGH I HAD STUDIED ENGLISH, I HAD NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DIVIDE A WORD INTO SYLLABLES AND I DID NOT KNOW EVERYTHING THAT THEY ARE TEACHING ME RIGHT NOW. WORKING IN TANDEM, READERS 2 LEADERS COACHING AND TUTORING PROGRAMS PROVIDE CHILDREN AND PARENTS LIKE AARON AND LUPITA WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO APPROACH READING WITH CONFIDENCE!THE ORGANIZATION IS PRIMARILY SUPPORTED BY CONTRIBUTIONS AND GRANTS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.