Sunday, August 30, 2009

Everybody Wins! A National Literacy Organization

Everybody Wins! is a school-age literacy organization that has been getting a lot of press recently because Senator Kennedy volunteered regularly through Everybody Wins! DC.  It was on my radar anyway, and I learned just last night that the national organization is in the middle of a fundraising auction. The auction runs only through September 2, so check it out and make your bids soon!
Why should you support Everybody Wins?  I suppose it wouldn't be too compelling if I told you merely that their website features an adorable kid.  Instead, I will tell you that Everybody Wins is addressing the literacy gap between low-income and high-income communities, one mentor, one child, one book at a time.  The first statistic included in the literacy gap article is shocking and highlights the need for programs like Everybody Wins: "In the US, the typical middle-class child enters first grade with 1,000-1,700 hours of picture book reading time; a low-income child averages just 25." (Adams, M. (1990.) Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.)
Where will the money from this auction go?  This auction supports the national organization, which in turn supports local affiliates and the Power Lunch program.
If you cannot participate in the auction but would like to make a financial contribution, you may do so here.

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