Tennessee literacy rates are abysmal with a majority of third graders not yet reading at a proficient level and 21.7% of adults reading below a third-grade level. Two out of three adults in Appalachia read below an eighth grade level. In Knoxville, the literacy rates have new hope with the recently announced partnership between Thrive and the Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation which is seeking to provide a transformative summer literacy program aimed at enriching the educational experiences of Knoxville’s most at-risk youth.
The initiative, launched during Thrive’s Summer Program across its five Knoxville sites, is designed to combat the “summer slide” and foster a lifelong love of reading and learning.
The literacy initiative includes evidence-based instruction, one-on-one reading support, and engaging activities that build confidence and skills in young readers. By embedding this program into Thrive’s broader efforts — which already provide spiritual, academic and emotional support — the summer experience becomes even more impactful.
“We are thankful to Thrive for partnering with us this summer to make sure students have access to instruction based on the science of reading,” said Crissy Haslam, former First Lady of Tennessee. “Thrive is thinking critically about how best to use outside-of-school time to ensure students who are furthest behind receive access to literacy instruction that we know works. We are so thankful for their leadership and look forward to learning more this summer.”
This generous gift from the BCH Foundation will directly impact children in neighborhoods where educational resources can be scarce, providing not only academic enrichment, but also hope, confidence, and opportunity.
For more information about Thrive or to support this initiative, visit www.HelpUsThrive.com.
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