#NonProfitSpotlight
The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation
With a mission of transforming lives and communities through literacy. Their tireless e orts focus on serving traditionally underserved children and families across greater Houston, par- ticularly those living in low-income communities and attending schools with low reading achievement levels.
Curiosity Cruiser: A Beacon of Learning
In 2018, the Foundation collaborated with the Ladies for Literacy Guild and Harris County Public Library to launch the Curiosity Cruiser mobile library initiative. Since then, this fleet of four mobile libraries has become a beacon of learning. Children partici- pate in high-quality STEM+Reading programs, exploring artificial intelli- gence, circuitry, robotics, and virtual reality—all right in their neighbor- hoods. As they board the Curiosity Cruiser, they select books to read and keep, enriching their lives and expanding the reach of the Harris County Public Library.
The impact of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation is tangible. Their My Home Library program has distributed over one million books to Houston children, thanks to generous donors. Research shows that this simple act—putting books in the hands of children—boosts reading achievement levels and fosters a culture of literacy.
My Home Library: Research under- scores the importance of children having access to books at home. The My Home Library program empow- ers the community to sponsor home libraries for underserved children, fostering a lifelong love of reading. Reading Roundup: Volunteers play a crucial role in inspiring young readers. Through this program, volunteers read to first- or second-grade classrooms one to two times each month throughout the school year. Raising a Reader: Recognizing that parents are a child’s first teachers, nurses at participating HCA Houston Healthcare hospitals provide infor- mation about health brain develop- ment and early learning and resources to help parents kickstart their newborn’s path to success. These vibrant spaces within branches of the Harris County and Houston Public Library systems serve families with children below age five. They o er age-appropriate resources to build emergent literacy skills. Family Place Libraries:
The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation continues to ignite a passion for reading, one child at a time, and their impact resonates throughout the community.
Assessing Success The Foundation’s success isn’t just about numbers; it’s about changing lives. They evaluate their impact based on access, reach, and student academic progress. For instance, the UH Cougar Tutor program, supported in part- nership with the UH Advanc- ing Community Engagement Services (ACES) Institute, assesses academic progress in reading through beginning, middle, and end-of-year assessments.
barbarabush.org
6
Made with FlippingBook. PDF to flipbook with ease