The Dollar General Literacy Foundation recently awarded Trafford Middle School a $750 grant to support youth literacy initiatives. This local grant award is part of more than $3 million in grants awarded this fall to nearly 760 nonprofit organizations, libraries, and schools across the 46 states that Dollar General serves. The grant was secured by Elizabeth Somes, library aide, and Melissa Matis, an English/Language Arts teacher.
“A love of reading, and a strong foundation of literacy, is built through choice. We are excited to be able to offer our students a myriad of options that are tailored to their interests and reading level,” explains Matis.
Research shows that when students are given the opportunity to choose their own books, they thrive as readers. In Trafford Middle School’s English/Language Arts classrooms, teachers are working toward a literacy program that combines the traditional study of whole-class novels with individually selected texts. The middle grade and young adult genres offer so many current, high-interest, and diverse options for tweens and teens, allowing every reader to find the right fit. This grant will add approximately 75 books to Trafford Middle School classrooms.
“The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has been proud to invest in literacy and education programs in the communities we call home for nearly 30 years,” said Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and vice president of corporate social responsibility at Dollar General. “As the educational landscape continues to shift, our hope is that these funds will help increase access and resources for students, educators, and communities dedicated to reading and learning.”