How literacy is changing lives and building community in Kent

Coalition for Refugees from Burma (CRB), based in Kent, knows that literacy is a vehicle that changes lives. Their programs provide support for immigrant and refugee communities across the age spectrum, always with an eye trained towards self-advocacy. Executive Director, Mona Han wants to work herself out of a job—a philosophy that influences all aspects of the organization. While some social service organizations utilize a case management strategy and aim to be a one-stop-shop to access a wide range of supports from rental assistance to counseling sessions to bus passes, CRB has stayed focused on their specialty: literacy as a … [ ]

It takes a village—community, family, and furry friends promote reading in Auburn

Trying new things can be nerve-wracking, so calm and non-judgmental support makes all the difference. For kids working on their reading skills in the Firwood Circle housing community in Auburn, the best support comes from dogs. Every week, through the Reading with Rover (RWR) program, they are able to have time in a zoom meeting where they read to a trained therapy dog. “It’s really comforting to the kids, and creates a safe space. Their anxiety doesn’t get in the way when they’re reading,” says Andy Pham, Youth Engagement Coordinator with Neighborhood House (NH) at Firwood Circle. “And the dogs are good listeners and … [ ]

Chinese Information and Service Center helps kids adapt to a new country, culture, and language

A new student at Chinese Information and Service Center (CISC) had only arrived in the United States in August. When he enrolled in their Bilingual Orientation School, he did not know the English alphabet, and was struggling to adjust to a new culture and a new language. Weeks later, he proudly read the entire alphabet! The reading specialist who had been working with him was also proud– not only of his blossoming English proficiency, but of his perseverance and zeal for learning. When he started, the specialist had talked with him in Toishanese and determined that he would be best served by visual and kinesthetic … [ ]

Newport students keep ‘active minds’ during the summer of STEM

Check out this great blog post written by our partners at Ready WA featuring one of our Feed Your Brain grantees in Newport!  Ready WA is a statewide coalition that believes every Washington student should graduate high school prepared for a successful future, on the education and career path they choose. The recipe for summer learning in Newport, Wash., looks like one part science lab, one part reading room, and two parts fun. The 80 students participating in The Summer of STEM program are building roller coasters, creating cars out of pasta, engineering popsicle stick bridges, constructing elaborate towers for marbles to run through, … [ ]