Sugar Land – ACHIEVE Fort Bend County is proud to announce that with the help of volunteers, parents, schools, local foundations, and the community, 1,241 elementary students now have 10 new books to help build their reading skills over the summer.
“This year, our Summer Reading Program was able to serve an additional 200 students thanks to the additional community support we received,” said James Patterson, ACHIEVE Fort Bend County Board Chairman. “Our program’s success is due in large part to the collaborate efforts of our funders, community volunteers and the school administrators. In particular, we’d like to thank The George Foundation, the Henderson Wessendorff Foundation and Fred and Mabel Parks Foundation for their continued financial support and the Fort Bend County Constables who helped distribute the books.”
ACHIEVE Fort Bend County’s Summer Reading Program, operating since 2016, fills a critical gap for students who struggle with reading. Numerous studies indicate that during the summer months, student’s reading skills from economically disadvantaged households slide back a few months. The program’s goal is to give 10 books to first grade students to help build their reading confidence and skills so that they’re better prepared for the new school year. Students who need reading help to stay on level with their peers are identified by school personnel in Title I schools in Fort Bend County.
Qualified education volunteers and professionals help identify reading materials that represent the reading level, language and interest of students so that they are excited about the books and will read them frequently and share them with others in their family. As in previous years, volunteers from teachers to law enforcement, to school administrators, parents and members of the community, come together to sort, label, and distribute 12,500 books.
To learn more about ACHIEVE Fort Bend County and the Summer Reading Program, or to make a donation, visit the ACHIEVE Facebook Page or email achievefbc@yahoo.com.