Worldreader Announces Grantees of 2024 Let’s Get Children Reading Grant

International EdTech nonprofit Worldreader is excited to announce the selection of grantees for the 2024 Let’s Get Children Reading Grant. This initiative aims to support US community-based organizations, schools, and learning institutions in fostering a love for reading among children aged 3 to 12 and their families.

The Let’s Get Children Reading Grant program opened in March 2023 to provide a unique opportunity for organizations to engage children and their families in reading at least 25 unique books per year. By utilizing Worldreader’s free digital reading application, BookSmart, participants can access a diverse range of high-quality books, interactive activities, and celebrations of their reading achievements.

Now in its second edition, the 2024 program’s call for applications received a tremendous response. Worldreader thanks all applicants for submitting strong proposals and for their dedication to supporting children’s reading.

We are delighted to unveil the 2024 Let’s Get Children Reading Grant grantees. We are empowering local organizations to make a meaningful impact on children’s literacy development and social-emotional learning by working closely with parents and caregivers and supporting their reading to and with their children. We are confident that by working together with our grantees, we can make a significant difference in children’s lives and reading outcomes.

Rebecca Chandler Leege, CEO of Worldreader

Each organization has been carefully chosen based on its ability to directly engage children and families, promote the importance of reading, and build the reading confidence of caregivers and families to support their child’s literacy development.

At our one-year mark, we have encouraged over 3000 Florida children and families to access BookSmart regularly, which ultimately assists those children in acquiring a love of reading for both enjoyment and educational support. Families have also expressed their appreciation of this platform in not only bringing books into their homes but also creating quality family time with their children. Our Florida Grade-Level Reading Campaign is honored to have been approved for a second grant cycle, to have been recognized as a community with exceptional growth in users and readers of BookSmart. We look forward to growing BookSmart’s readership across Florida and beyond. Thank you Worldreader!

Jenn Faber, Florida Grade-Level Reading Campaign Director, Florida Alliance of Children’s Councils and Trusts

Worldreader has an ambitious goal of getting 75,000 children reading through the program. The 2024 Let’s Get Children Reading Grant recipients are:

• Action pact Head Start
• Agape Youth & Family Center in Atlanta
• Aspire Achievement Project
• Atlanta Habitat for Humanity
• The Black Book Project
• Black Parent Network
• The Bookshelf Project
• Boston Local Development Corporation – ReadBoston
• Boys & Girls Club of Chicago
• Bridge 2 Hope
• Brightpaths
• Broward Education Foundation
• Burst Into Books
• Cahokia Unit School District 187
• Children’s Services Council of Martin County – Martin Reads
• Cobb Collaborative
• Color the Block
• Crete Public Schools
• Danbury Family Learning Center
• East Nashville Hope Exchange
• E.F. Lindop SD 92
• Florida Alliance of Children’s Councils & Trusts (FACCT)
• Gateway Regional Arts Center
• Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS)
• George Werden Buck Boys & Girls Club of Joliet
• Get Curious, Powered by Zuni Learning Tree
• HeartBound Ministries
• Hoosier Uplands Economic Development Corporation
• The Hope Center of Joliet
• Jefferson County Educational Service Center
• The Kalos Academy
• Kids Above All
• LaAmistad Atlanta
• La Casa de Don Pedro
• LaundryCares Foundation
• Lee County Family Connection
• The Literacy Cooperative
• Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area
• National Hook-Up of Black Women, Joliet Chapter
• New Song Community Learning Center/New Song Academy #322
• Northampton Area Public Library
• Oak Ridge Youth Development School
• Options for Literacy
• Perry County Schools 
• Planning Your Success Chicago
• PlaySmart Literacy
• Pacific Refugee Support Group
• Preface Project
• Reading Connections
• Sela Public Charter School
• Smart Start of Mecklenburg County – Dolly Parton Imagination Library
• South Middleton School District
• Southern Kennebec Child Development Corporation
• SPAN Parent Advocacy Network
• Spanish Community Center
• Transforming Youths Into Adults (T.Y.I.A)
• Troup Family Connection – Get Troup Reading
• Tutoring Chicago
• United Way of Central Maryland
• VOCEL

The Let’s Get Children Reading Grant is one of Worldreader’s initiatives aimed at fostering a culture of reading among children globally. Worldreader holds firm to the belief that reading is a human right and reading opportunities are key in unlocking children’s potential. Engaging in regular reading not only enhances reading comprehension but also nurtures social-emotional growth, digital literacy skills, and family bonding.

About Worldreader

Worldreader gets children reading so they can reach their potential. For young dreamers with curious minds and their families, Worldreader is a gateway to a lifelong love of reading and learning. Through digital technology, Worldreader provides family-centered reading experiences to all children aged 3-12 so they are inspired to explore a world of endless possibilities. Worldreader’s reading experience BookSmart offers families a free digital library of 2,700+ captivating books and learning activities designed to motivate children and caregivers to read 25+ books a year with understanding so they can cultivate a daily reading habit and love for books. Readers can access locally sourced children’s books in English, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Kiswahili, and Ukrainian, and regional languages.

Since 2010, Worldreader has supported over 22 million readers in more than 100 countries. In 2023, Woldreader was awarded the US Library of Congress Literacy Award, International Prize, for its work in advancing global literacy.

MEDIA CONTACT

Lynn Bröker
Associate Marketing Director
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