#10) We have $20,000 in matching funds. One dollar from you = two dollars for Reach!
#9) Your gift will support the second year of our unique summer program, during which 30 teens will author books, make grants to local nonprofits, visit colleges, and read challenging texts.
#8) Throughout his life, Brandon has experienced many challenges. He’s been expelled from school. He’s dealt with significant family challenges – including issues related to homelessness and incarceration. He’s failed classes. He’s been disrespectful to teachers.
But, then he became one. Now, he’s a leader, an author, and a voracious reader. And, in the fall, he’ll be a student at Allegheny College of Maryland.
#7) In four years, we have given away more than 2,000 books, allowing program participants to maintain reading gains during school breaks.
#6) We’ll let our students tell you. Our students from Payne Elementary school sent their tutors a card. One student wrote, “Thank you for helping me. It was so amazing. My test scores are off the hook because of you. I’ll miss you all. Love, Niamca.”
#5) At Reach, we believe that teens have the ability to change their communities. When our tutors noticed that children’s books didn’t generally reflect their lives and experiences, we helped them become authors. In doing so, we allowed our tutors to inspire young readers and writers across the city through public readings that look quite different than the typical author event.
#4) We don’t talk about this often, but we believe it’s true. Teaching them to be tutors now also teaches them how to be parents (much!) later.
#3) Some of our tutors arrive with a hardened outer shell. We often hear phrases like “I don’t care” or “I don’t want to be here.” But, usually, they continue to show up, regularly showered in the affection of their young students.
On the last day, students were given a chance to share their favorite memories from the year. Two students spoke about how much they enjoyed their time with their hard-shelled tutor. You could barely hear the tutor’s words as she responded softly to another tutor standing nearby: “I may need to leave. They’re gonna make me cry.”
#2) Reach has only twice had rising seniors. And twice, we’ve had an alum selected to be a summer intern with Urban Alliance, DC’s most competitive high school internship program.
When asked about Sejal, Urban Alliance staff said, “She was amazing. We’re used to having interviews with young people. With Sejal, we had a conversation.”
Sejal, when asked about the interview, said, “I was confident. I mean, how many other applicants are Lead Tutors and published authors?”
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