The Patterson Foundation Contributes $250,000 to Campaign for Grade-Level Reading

SARASOTA, Fla. (Oct. 16, 2018) – The Patterson Foundation has contributed an additional $250,000 to strengthen the efforts of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (GLR Campaign), a national movement to increase reading proficiency among children in low-income families. Since 2013, The Patterson Foundation has contributed over $1.25 million to support the Campaign’s early literacy efforts, providing strategy and capacity-building support as an enterprise funder.

This latest contribution will benefit the national network of communities working to move the needle and close the gap to ensure all children read on grade-level by the end of third grade. The GLR Campaign includes more than 390 communities in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada that are building better futures for America’s low-income children.

“It has been inspiring to watch the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading network grow,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. “From 124 communities in 2012 to more than 390 communities and counting today, all are committed to addressing one of the most critical issues of our time: childhood success. The Patterson Foundation values being part of this nationwide movement and strengthening the efforts of the Campaign so that communities can continue to connect, share best practices and learn from each other.”

Reading proficiency by the end of third grade is a critical milestone toward high school graduation and career success because it marks the transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” Currently, 80 percent of children from low-income families are not reaching this milestone. These students are more likely to drop out of high school and struggle throughout their lives. The GLR Campaign works with communities to mobilize a broad base of stakeholders to improve school readiness, attendance and summer learning opportunities. It also emphasizes strategies to help parents serve as their children’s first teachers while connecting families with health resources to reduce societal challenges associated with reading on grade-level.

In addition to providing strategy and capacity-building support, The Patterson Foundation has also helped the Campaign’s communities stay connected through a digital platform known as The Huddle, which enables community leaders to learn from one another and share promising practices.

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Beyond this gift, The Patterson Foundation is engaged in ongoing GLR Campaign efforts in Florida—including working with the Florida Grade-Level Reading Campaign and serving as a lead funder of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, which encompasses Charlotte, Manatee, and Sarasota counties with aligned efforts in DeSoto County. The Suncoast Campaign has earned a variety of accolades for its work to help children achieve grade-level reading proficiency, including multiple Pacesetter Honors, one of the highest awards presented by the GLR Campaign, and the prestigious All-America City Award.

To learn more about The Patterson Foundation, visit www.thepattersonfoundation.org. Visit www.gradelevelreading.net for more information about the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.

About The Patterson Foundation
The Patterson Foundation strengthens the efforts of people, organizations and communities. The Foundation focuses on issues that address common aspirations and foster wide participation, along with ways organizations learn and share as they evolve. For more information, please visit www.thepattersonfoundation.org and connect with @ThePattersonFdn on Twitter.