Kennewick, wash — The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia received a grant of $12,000 from Battelle to fund their summer program called ” Read Up Stop the Summer Slide.”
This funding allowed the organization to distribute 10,000 free books to children across Benton and Franklin counties during various community events.
This program emphasizes the importance of reading during the summer months to prevent ” Summer Slide.”
” We know that their language increases, their reading skills, phonics, phonemic awareness, comprehension, all those things blossom. It’s especially imperative over the summer months, because they’re not getting that six hours in a school room ” said Leanne Luehrs-Purcell, Executive Director of the Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia.
A major event that will be happening soon is in HAPO, they will be hosting a back to school event on August 18th where organizations like The Children’s Reading Foundation of Mid-Columbia will be providing free school supplies.
The Children’s Reading Foundation of Mid-Columbia have a first year teacher program to assist with free books, for more information you can visit here.