Reading and Beyond | eNewsletter

Lights On After School

During November, Reading and Beyond's after school program hosted four "Lights On After School" events, a series of evening events for parents and other members of the community to learn in more depth about the importance of after school programs and the academic benefit they can have on students.

Families in attendance enjoyed dinner and refreshments, followed by words from their district’s Councilmember. After dinner, attendees participated a "mock" after school program, where they were split into three rotating groups; literacy intervention, enrichment/fitness activities, and homework, to experience firsthand the educational components students receive in our after-school program. The classes were led by our site coordinators and instructors.

Lights On took place at Storey, Wishon, Balderas, and Heaton Elementary Schools. Councilmembers that participated were Sal Quintero, Clint Olivier, and Blong Xiong. Reading and Beyond wishes to thank all the parents and educators that came out at night to show their support.

View PHOTOS from the events

Celebrating Our New Home

Reading and Beyond now at Mosqueda Community Center

On Tuesday, October 25, 2011, Reading and Beyond hosted an open house event at the Mosqueda Community Center, our new home in Southeast Fresno. We were thankful for the many friends who attended and toured our new offices and classrooms.

We have partnered with the City of Fresno to operate the Mosqueda Community Center, one of its flagship community sites in Southeast Fresno. The vision of this new partnership is to create a one-stop-shop model for families living in Southeast Fresno, based on research conducted by Harvard University which says that there must be an array of linked learning supports beyond school that work together toward the same goal of student achievement, family success, and neighborhood revitalization.

The purpose of the one-stop-shop facility is to align essential cradle-to-career programs and services by establishing a center within walking distance for families. Providing these services at one location will alleviate the barriers of transportation and access that are unfortunately a problem for many families in Fresno. In addition to Reading and Beyond programs, residents will be linked to other services, including Workforce Connection, Police Activities League (PAL), and others based upon need and interest. As part of the one-stop-shop model, Fresno County Department of Social Services will place staff on site to enable neighborhood families to access services such as food-stamps and CAL Works/job placement.

Mayor Ashley Swearengin led the ribbon-cutting, officially announcing the new center under our leadership, and Councilmember Sal Quintero presented our Executive Director, Luis Santana, with a plaque proclaiming that day to be "Reading and Beyond Day." It was an exciting and fun event to remember.

View PHOTOS from the event

Watch VIDEO coverage of the event

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Annual Report

2010-2011

Get an in-depth look at the people, programs, and progress of Reading and Beyond. Our annual report for 2010-2011 is now available for download or viewing online.

View the annual report

Support Reading And Beyond

Help us reach more children and families through our programs and services. You can make a one-time donation, a monthly pledge, or arrange to donate a vehicle or property. Click below to make a donation today.

Meet Katie Kellum

Volunteer Coordinator

Reading and Beyond welcomes the newest member of our team, Katie Kellum, our new Volunteer Coordinator. Katie has many years of experience in education and volunteer work, having worked at The Discover Center of Fresno, Fresno Food Not Bombs, and Lincoln Elementary School. She graduated from Fresno State with a degree in Cultural Anthropology and has completed a study on homeless subculture.

Katie comes to us through AmeriCorps, a national volunteer service program that meets critical needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. She believes in her work with Reading and Beyond and feels that the staff is committed to helping children and families.

Katie knows firsthand the importance of volunteers for nonprofit community organizations such as Reading and Beyond, and urges our friends and supporters to join the team.

If you are interested in volunteering, contact Katie at (559) 600-6193 or kkelum@readingandbeyond.org.

Read Katie Kellum’s