Start Reading Now: Closing the Achievement Gap

An interview of Kevin led by Jeff Williams about how Start Reading Now addresses summer setback and the achievement gap.

In June 2016 we will be in our third year of operation, and we will more than triple the number of kids served in Minneapolis Public Schools to 2,000.

The program is research-based, and addresses the very simple fact that low income kids, on average, have less than one book at home to read. And if you don't read, you don't learn. If you don't learn, you fall behind. Once you fall behind, you're on the short end of the stick for life. So we get kids $50 vouchers to buy books and build their own library of 30 books by the end of 3rd grade.

Major funders to date have included Atomic Data, Andy and Lynne Redleaf,  The Schulze Family Foundation, Cities 97 and One Simple Plan, along with many others.

It's an incredibly easy and inexpensive way to start creating a Culture of Reading and Learning for Life.

24 minutes