I Would Rather Be Reading

I Would Rather Be Reading (IWRBR) is dedicated to ensuring all students have access to quality education by offering top-notch after-school programs and summer camps. Our programs provide students with research-based literacy instruction and intervention, intentional social-emotional learning (SEL) activities, and daily enrichment focused on physical and mental health, life skills, and the arts.

To give our new donors some background: when IWRBR first launched in 2018, we started with just one six-week summer camp for nine students. Thanks to growing community support, we've expanded our services significantly. In just eight years, we've published the Mindful Literacy Curriculum, trained hundreds of reading tutors, hosted numerous community events, and provided summer and after-school programs to thousands of children across the city.

Our out-of-school-time programs are designed to support the whole child—academically, socially, and emotionally. Through engaging, hands-on experiences, students build essential skills like confidence, empathy, communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and responsible decision-making. At the same time, our highly trained literacy tutors provide targeted reading support, ensuring students have access to the individualized help they need to strengthen their skills and become more confident, capable readers.

This school year, we’re taking that work even further.

At Kerrick Elementary, in partnership with Shirley’s Way, we are investing in students and families throughout the entire school year. Students will receive reading and math tutoring during the school day, participate in after-school programming focused on career pathways and new experiences, and their families will have access to a Family Learning Series designed to unlock the joy of reading together and take the mystery out of supporting literacy at home.

At Jacob Elementary, our highly trained literacy tutors will work with students during the school day with a focused goal: helping increase schoolwide reading proficiency and ensuring more children have the individualized support they need to succeed.

And in the Russell neighborhood, we are working to bring our vision for a Family & Community Hub to life—a place where children and families can access reading and tutoring support, Saturday programming for middle schoolers, mental health and wellness resources, and connections to basic and everyday needs.

From the classroom to after school to the home and community, we are surrounding children with the people, opportunities, and resources they need to thrive. And we need our community alongside us to make it possible.

Our goal for this year’s Give For Good Lou campaign is to raise $25,000 through 600 unique donations, and to strategically aim for prize awards. Achieving this goal will allow IWRBR to support all 120+ children in our after-school programs, which are completely free to the community. Every donation brings us closer to closing the achievement gap by addressing food insecurity, providing materials that enhance cognitive development, ensuring transportation, and organizing field trips aligned with our academic and enrichment activities.

You're invited to join us live on Facebook and Instagram all day on September 10th! Be sure to turn on your notifications so you don’t miss a moment. 

Want to come to the party? Visit us at our office for the fundraising party located at 828 S 6th Street from 6:00-10:00 PM!