The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hall County a $3,500 grant to support youth literacy.
It is part of $4.5 million in youth literacy grants awarded to approximately 1,000 organizations across the 43 states that Dollar General serves. The grants are aimed at supporting teachers, schools and organizations with resources to strengthen and enhance literacy instruction.
The lead teacher for BGCHC Joseph F. Walters Club, Neusa Wendt, is excited about the funding for the iRead program. “It is a colorful, interesting, playful program with images, audio, with accessorized Avatars and a backpack that contains number of words each child has mastered. From the teachers’ point of view, it provides Growth Reports for each student, specifying if the child is below, on or above grade level. It recognizes students’ achievements and points out areas of specific needs.”
iRead is a digital foundational reading program designed to close the achievement gap before it begins and place all K-2 students on a predictable path to college and career readiness. iRead is designed to significantly boost the effectiveness of any core reading program. The program uses adaptive, personalized software and digital teaching tools to provide effective instruction and practice during a literacy instruction - and at any time outside of it. The program is web-based, granting children 24/7 access to the software including literacy centers, computer labs, and resource rooms, before or after school, and at home. Boys & Girls Clubs of Hall County implements the iRead program to ensure the academic success of its members.
“By awarding these grants, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation is committed to making a meaningful impact in our local communities,” said Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s chief executive officer. “These grants provide funds to support youth literacy initiatives and educational programs throughout the communities we serve to ensure a successful academic year for students.”
Committed to helping increase the literacy skills of individuals of all ages, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $127 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping nearly 7.9 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education since its inception in 1993. The Dollar General Literacy Foundation awards grants each year to nonprofit organizations, schools and libraries within a 20-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs.
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation also supports customers interested in learning how to read, speak English or prepare for the high school equivalency test. At the cash register of every Dollar General store, customers may pick up a brochure with a postage-paid reply card that can be mailed in for a referral to a local organization that offers free literacy services.
