Raise Me to Read has been honored with a Pacesetter Award by the Campaign for Grade Level Reading.
The program, which is under the nonprofit organization Family Inc., was named a Pacesetter in Building the Community Learning for Impact & Improvement for its work during 2018 to support early school success.
“Recognizing Pacesetters is our way of applauding and thanking the civic leaders, organizations and agencies that have joined forces to build brighter futures for children in their communities,” said Ralph Smith, managing director of CGLR. “We are learning with them and from them what it takes to move the needle and close the gap. Mobilized communities — like these Pacesetters — are essential to ensuring school success.”
It was at least the sixth Pacesetter Award for Council Bluffs, along with awards in 2012-16.
In Council Bluffs, the Campaign for Grade Level Reading began as “CB Reads.” Raise Me to Read was launched in 2016 and took over the campaign in the community, which was named an All American City in 2017, said Brenda Moran, director. Raise Me to Read has held school and community events, given away thousands of books and established a permanent StoryWalk path in Sunset Park.
“We have given away over 8,100 books in our efforts to help children who may not have very many books at home,” she said.
The program is sponsored by the Iowa West Foundation, United Way of the Midlands and private donors, Moran said.
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