Providing Remote Reading Help and Diverse Books for K-5th Grade Students

The United States in the midst of a literacy crisis, made worse by the coronavirus pandemic from 2020 – 2022.
Pre-pandemic literacy rates in African-American, Hispanic and Indigenous communities were already low, sometimes as low as 30-40% (the percentage 3rd graders who were reading at or above a 3rd grade level). In our 2022 post-pandemic work, literacy statistics are even more troubling. In many schools across the country literacy rates in BIPOC communities are currently between 15% - 25% rage. Said differently, 75% - 85% of the students are reading below grade level. Truly heartbreaking.
Our Kids Read seeks to match mentors (our “Reading Buddies”) with children behind in their reading. Our Reading Buddy program allows students a chance to work with a mentor who models strong reading skills, provides an opportunity for students to practice their reading and creates strong mentor-mentee relationships. We use our collection of 400 diverse eBooks during our Zoom-based reading sessions, books selected by the children themselves (all featuring positive African-American, Latinx and Indigenous characters).

our mission

Expanding perspectives

Our Kids Read book donations feature stories from a variety of cultures: Native-American/Indigenous, African-American, LatinX, Southeast Asian and more. Our hope is that through exposure to various cultures, the children we serve will grow up to be open-minded and tolerant adults.

Developing self-esteem

Books have, at times, been described as a window into a new world or as a mirror of ourselves. Our Kids Read donates books that serve in both capacities: for children not represented by the books that we donate, the books serve as a window into a different world. For people of color, our books serve as a mirror and affirmation of identity and self.

Fostering a sense of belonging

Our Kids Read donations foster a sense of belonging by showing children that people that look like them have done (and continue) to do amazing things. Feeling like you are part of a powerful positive global community is a natural offshoot of representation. Seeing onself (or images similar to oneself) represented in a positive way in books in a universal conscious and subconscious affirmation.

Connecting Reading Buddies with Students

The Our Kids Read Reading Buddy program matches students in under-served communities with blue and white collar professionals, retirees and high school students looking to meet their community service hours requirement. Reading Buddies read to their mentees once, twice or three times per week via Zoom. The eBooks we read with our students are all selected by *them* and all feature African-American, Hispanic and Indigenous characters. Reading Buddies sign-up for an 8-week session in the spring, summer, fall or winter (although most of our Reading Buddies sign-up for multiple sessions after experiencing how much fun it is to read with a child!).

our approach

26

Schools in Our Kids Read Network

Our Kids Read provides our kids both with books to take home with them, which is crucial in our school as we work with primarily low-income students, largely children of color. Both the books that Our Kids Read donated to our school library and the take home books are of immeasurable value to the children's growth and development.

- Educator, Our Kids Read Partner School
42 books
AUGUST 17, 2021

Gornam Crossing Elementary
Laurel, MD

46 books
Octover 20, 2021

Holy Innocents Episcopal School
Atlanta, GA

40 books
November 2, 2021

For Love Of Children Book Fair
Washington, D.C

91%

of proceeds go directly to schools

Our Kids Read provides our kids both with books to take home with them, which is crucial in our school as we work with primarily low-income students, largely children of color. Both the books that Our Kids Read donated to our school library and the take home books are of immeasurable value to the children's growth and development.

- Educator, Our Kids Read Partner School

donate

Make a Dollar Donation

Donate a book, a classroom full of books or just a few dollars to support diversity in your local schools. As Our Kids Read is 100% volunteer funded, 91 cents out of every dollar goes to the book giving program.

our team

Jahmal Lake
Executive Director, Executive Board Member

Karen Ali, Esquire
Advisory Board Member

Kamil Ali-Jackson, Esquire
Advisory Board Member

Antonia Baker
Advisory Board Member

Beth Brett
Advisory Board Member

Shawn Cole
Advisory Board Member

Lisa Dunkley
Advisory Board Member

Jaffet Ghebretnsae
Advisory Board Member

Lauren MacDonell
Advisory Board Member

Marquis Parker
Advisory Board Member

Eugene Wright
Advisory Board Member