KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia (CRFMC) is enhancing literacy efforts in the region with the help of an $8,500 grant from the Wildhorse Foundation.
The initiative, Let’s READ Mid-Columbia, aims to support children from birth to age 8 and their families by providing resources and training for at-home literacy activities, a CRFMC release said.
To empower families to incorporate reading and play into their daily routines, CRFMC said they will receive a tote bag containing an age-appropriate book, magnetic letters, tools, a small whiteboard, and bilingual instructions for activities.
“Early shared reading fosters foundational literacy skills like phonemic awareness and print concepts, crucial for academic success. It also strengthens caregiver-child bonds, creating a positive association with reading,” Leanne Luehrs-Purcell, CRFMC Executive Director, said. “By investing in early literacy, we build educational equity, especially for underserved populations.”
The Wildhorse Foundation, which has awarded over $18 million in grant funding since 2001, supports nonprofit, government, and Tribal organizations within the homeland area of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla people.
