Our Founding:

September 2001, before ReadFresno even had a name, Fresno State and the Business Council formed the Fresno Area Collaborative Regional Initiative (CRI).  Local nonprofit, business, and government leaders along with educators came together under the CRI with the intention of revitalizing Fresno’s economic, environmental, and social conditions.  Five initiatives were identified, and two were selected as the top priority.  One was the Fresno Regional Jobs Initiative (http://www.fresnorji.org/). The other was “every child reading at grade level by third grade.” This would become the foundation of ReadFresno, and its mission would be “every child reading and succeeding.”

One by One Leadership became the fiscal agent and parenting agency for this initiative in September of 2004.  Kurt Madden, CEO of One by One, installed Don Simmons as the first Executive Director of ReadFresno, the name given to the CRI’s identified initiative.

The Early Years:

ReadFresno began as a pilot program in four elementary schools in January 2005: Susan B. Anthony, Burroughs, Columbia, and Jefferson. ReadFresno sent volunteers to each location to read with children during lunch and after-school using donated books. 

In the 2005-2006 school year, ReadFresno expanded to include three more schools: Greenburg, Lincoln, Webster, and in January 2006, Wolters began a lunchtime program led by the school literacy specialist.  Kristine Walter joined ReadFresno as Don’s assistant, and assumed the position of Executive Director at the end of Don’s tenure.

Kristine Walter led ReadFresno as Executive Director during the 2006-2007 school year.  A total of 12 schools were served, adding Del Mar, Kratt, Pyle, and Vinland to the ReadFresno fold.  Dot Powell assumed the position of Executive Director in August 2007.

Branching Out:

In March 2008, ReadFresno received its own 501c(3) nonprofit status and on May 1 moved to a new location in North Fresno.  ReadFresno expanded to 31 schools in the 2007-2008 school year and began hosting Parent Literacy Clinics to families with preschool-aged children to help them prepare their children for success in school. 

In 2008-2009, ReadFresno continued to serve 31 schools; 24 elementary schools, two middle schools, and five high schools in Fresno County.  A total of 50 Parent Literacy Clinics were held.  ReadFresno also began a Mentoring Children of Prisoners program that included serving in two apartment complexes as well as a Jail Outreach program in which volunteers read to children in the lobby of two Fresno County jails twice a month on Saturdays.  ReadFresno also held eight Saturday Read-A-Thons at a few Fresno County Library Branches.

Today:

ReadFresno revamped its programming for the 2009-2010 school year.  The After-School Literacy Program targets 25 schools in the 2009-2010 school year.  Parent Literacy Clinics have been transformed into Parenting Workshops that take place once a month at 10 schools identified by FCOE.  Instead of hosting a clinic once at many schools, this quality-over-quantity approach will serve to better develop relationships with the parents at each of the identified schools.  Our BLAST Mentoring Program takes place in an after-school setting and the Jail Outreach continues to serve as a first point of contact to identify children with an incarcerated parent.

To date, we have 128 volunteers working in 19 schools, and have reached 312 parents. ReadFresno looks forward to continuing the legacy of inspiring the love of reading to children and families in Fresno County as the years progress!

 Tax ID # 90-0353228

 

Every child reading and succeeding!