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Lehigh Valley Reads’ school attendance initiative recognized for community’s contributions to the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.
Allentown, PA, October 7, 2020 – The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR) announced that it is recognizing Lehigh Valley Reads with Bright Spot Honors for its work in 2019 in the community solutions to improve school attendance and reduce chronic absence.
Each year, the CGLR uses its Pacesetter Honors to highlight communities across the United States that exemplify extraordinary vision and best practices for their work on key indicators of early school success.
“We applaud the civic leaders and local funders whose time, talent, energy and imagination have fueled progress in these Bright Spots Communities,” says Ralph Smith, managing director of CGLR. “Mobilized communities support our big bet on the problem-solving potential of proximity, and we all have much to learn and emulate from their success.”
Lehigh Valley Reads was recognized for Challenge 5, an attendance campaign that focused on both community-based and school-based strategies to encourage all kids to strive for less than five absences – excused or unexcused – all year. The Bright Spot Honors specifically notes the Attendance Ambassador pilot program, in which United Way’s Challenge 5 Attendance Coalition and Moravian College partnered with a Bethlehem Area School District elementary school. A college student was assigned to the school to focus on individual attendance needs, including gathering data, connecting with families, or implementing activities and campaigns to support students and faculty. The program provides a consistent mentorship opportunity, builds positive relationships, and allows students to feel noticed when they miss school.
“Missing school is often a symptom of a deeper issue. Lehigh Valley Reads’ ongoing collaboration with partners has allowed the Challenge 5 Attendance Coalition to develop and implement models that keep children engaged in school,” says Angela Zanelli, campaign director of Lehigh Valley Reads. “Daily attendance is integral to school success, and we are grateful for the key partnership with Moravian College that gave way to the Attendance Ambassadors program.”
The program has since expanded to include partners in three school districts, six elementary schools and four local colleges.
In July, CGLR awarded Lehigh Valley Reads with Pacesetter Honors in three categories: improving Instruction for Lehigh Valley Reads’ Micro-Credential continuing education for teachers, strengthening Support Services for United Way’s AmeriCorps VISTA program and Agents of Change for Lehigh Valley Community Schools.
CGLR is a collaborative effort by funders, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities to ensure that more children in low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career and active citizenship. CGLR focuses on promoting early school success as an important building block of more hopeful futures for children in economically challenged families and communities.
Powered by United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley and Lehigh Valley Public Media, home of PBS39, Lehigh Valley Reads is a regional literacy campaign committed to ensuring that all Lehigh Valley students read on grade level by the end of third grade by 2025. Third grade is the pivotal moment when children transition from learning how to read, to reading to learn, and it is the most important predictor of high school graduation and future life success.
Mission of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
The mission of United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley is to provide the leadership, convene the partnerships, and develop the resources and solutions that improve our community. We remain committed to these goals and sincerely appreciate the continued support of partners, program providers and donors throughout the Lehigh Valley. www.UnitedWayGLV.org
About the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
Launched in 2010, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is a collaborative effort of funders, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities across the nation to ensure that many more children from low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career and active citizenship. Since its launch, CGLR has grown to include more than 350 communities, representing 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and two provinces in Canada
— with 5,000+ local organizations and 510 state and local funders (including 200+ United Ways). To learn more, visit gradelevelreading.net and follow the movement on Twitter @readingby3rd.
Information provided to TVL by:
Laura McHugh
Associate Vice President, Communications and Media Relations
United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley
1110 American Parkway NE Suite F-120 Allentown, PA 18109
www.unitedwayglv.org
