September Update

Good Afternoon!

With only weeks to go before program launch, this is an incredibly exciting time for Reach and our supporters. In DC, students returned to school almost two weeks ago, and Reach has visited Hyde Leadership Public Charter School regularly to begin recruiting our adolescent tutors. With 30 spots available, we were very excited to receive interest from 50 9^th grade students. Additionally, several teachers have expressed interest in supporting program implementation – these pieces will all fall into place in the coming weeks. After so much preparation, Reach will begin training tutors on September 13^th!

During September, we look forward to hiring teachers, training tutors, and beginning work with our elementary school readers. With books in their hands, our tutors will be forced to grapple with the real work of teaching – defining difficult words, teaching basic phonics, and developing comprehension questions. The tutors will improve their own reading skills while ensuring that the elementary school students achieve proficiency by the end of 3^rd grade – an important academic milestone.

To celebrate our arrival at program launch, Reach is pleased to announce an exciting event: Reach Becomes Reality. On September 29^th, Reach supporters will gather at Co Co Sala to enjoy happy hour specials, exciting door prize drawings, and a silent auction – all supporting our continued work at Hyde Leadership. With the purchase of a ticket, guests will receive their first drink free and be entered into a drawing for a two-night stay at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. At the event, guests will be able to bid on a variety of exciting silent auction items. Please visit our website for more details.

After an amazing summer, we have almost secured the resources necessary to support our first semester of programming. We hope you will continue to support our work as we begin transforming the lives of struggling readers. Thank you for all your support in helping Reach arrive at this point. In the coming weeks, we look forward to introducing you to our first cohort of tutors, and we hope to see you at Co Co Sala on the 29^th!

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark