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A Brief History
Reading Power was formed in 2003 by Mary Jane N. Hender, Ed. D., a literacy specialist, and Rev. Gordon Butcher, D. Min., a Presbyterian minister and literacy activist. Since then more than 300 dedicated tutors have helped over one thousand children, many for more than one year.
From the beginning the program's cornerstone has been early intervention--helping to accelerate children's literacy learning early before they have a chance to fail. However, we found that the need for tutoring was also great among older children.
Therefore, in 2003, we began literacy support through grade 3 at A.J. Katzenmeier School.
In 2005 we hired four professional tutors to work with children in grades 1-3 at Greenbay School in North Chicago.
In 2006 we added Yeager School and tutor kindergartners there. Twenty-three new tutors joined us in 2006 so South School was added where we tutor first graders four days per week.
2009 saw the addition of a fifth school, Forrestal Elementary School. A professional site-director was hired to oversee 23 new tutors for the first grade tutoring program.
Dr. Hender, our former Executive Director, oversaw the training, developed our one to one tutoring programs and supervised their implementation. She has trained our many volunteers who have committed to tutoring children one half day per week. Initial training occurs over two days and is ongoing with half hour sessions before each tutoring lesson.
Dr. Hender retired and Rebecca Mullen was hired as a full-time professional Executive Director in 2010. Our long term goal is to provide tutoring to all six of North Chicago's elementary schools.
"Imagine, being able to positively influence the learning trajectory of children with great life challenges at the earliest stages of school. In Reading Power, we support and accelerate the literacy learning of those most at risk in the early grades."
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