Hello Friends,
Last year at this time -- one year into the COVID-19 pandemic -- Robin Pizzo, our director of education, came to me with a proposal: WKAR would provide mid-Michigan families with books and fun literacy activities in celebration of National Reading Month. That spring, Robin and her team sent out over 1,700 WKAR Family Reading Kits for young learners in our community.
As we explored in our 2021 television special, Right to Read, Michigan faced a literacy crisis even before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted school and home routines. In some parts of Mid-Michigan, over 60% of 4- and 5-year-olds are behind in early literacy skills.
Recent research studies are reporting troubling data regarding a decrease in reading proficiency for children assessed in the last two years. The pandemic and ongoing learning disruptions have negatively impacted reading growth far greater than we might have anticipated.
The WKAR Family Reading Kit project is part of our commitment to supporting a culture of literacy across mid-Michigan communities and through dedicated partnerships and generous support, I'm pleased to say the project has been renewed for 2022.
This year, over 5,300 children will receive WKAR Family Reading Kits, age appropriate for pre-k to 1st grade and 2nd-4th graders. It took just 3 days to surpass 5,000 requests for the kits.
Robin Pizzo and a team including Michigan Learning Channel Coordinator Summer Godette, WKAR Events Coordinator Jen Preslar, WKAR student employee interns, and retired educators Sandy Kearney and Bobbie Earley are working to curate and collate materials and distribute the kits. Each kit includes fun and engaging literacy activities and book selections featuring Clifford, Daniel Tiger, Wild Kratts Adventures, and more.
Community partnerships are key to ensuring these kits are placed in the hands of children. Joining us in the project are partners including Ingham Great Start Collaborative, Head Start, Great Start to Readiness Program, Capital Area District Libraries, Clinton County RESA, Eaton RESA and the Michigan Learning Channel, to name just a few.
We are so grateful to Kellie and Marilyn Dean, Dave and Francine Zick, Judy Foley, Hi and Dee Fitzgerald, and Beany Tomber for their support of this year's WKAR Family Reading Kit project.
Anyone interested in being part of the project this year or in the future can reach out to Melanie McGuire, WKAR senior director of development; or call our Membership Office at 517-884-4747 during business hours.
You can make a difference for a young learner in your life. Read to a child, read with a child, share a book with a child. National Reading Month offers a great reminder that promoting and celebrating literacy year-round is one of the most important things we can all do to help young learners explore and grow.
Happy reading,
Susi Elkins
Director of Broadcasting and General Manager
