wgrz.com 

The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation today announced it has awarded a $76,000 grant to Read to Succeed Buffalo's (RTSB) early childhood literacy programs.

"Buffalo Public School students deserve every opportunity to succeed academically and economically," said Thomas Lunt, Trustee of the Foundation. "But what we have learned over the last few years from RTSB is that high quality early learning supports cannot stop when a child enters Kindergarten. RTSB's mission is to build a continuum of early literacy practices that support children from birth right through third grade."

Research continues to illustrate the importance of building early foundations of literacy and the effect this foundation can have on future high school graduation rates. In the Buffalo Public Schools, 73 percent of third graders were not reading proficiently according to 2012 New York State English Language Arts test scores. Statistically, this equates to approximately 1,300 students who are already in jeopardy of not graduating high school with their friends.

"With the generous support and collaboration of the Wendt Foundation, RTSB can continue to provide the support the City of Buffalo's youngest residents need to bridge the gap from learning to read to reading to learn," said Anne S. Ryan, executive director, Read to Succeed Buffalo. "

The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation is a private, philanthropic organization that focuses its work in Western New York and is devoted to the development of a stronger Western New York community.

 

About Read to Succeed Buffalo

Read to Succeed Buffalo, Inc. (RTSB) began in 2007 in response to the staggering literacy deficits among the citizens of Buffalo. Today, RTSB sharpens its focus where it can have the most impact - increasing early childhood literacy and third grade reading scores by preparing children for Kindergarten and the early grades through improved exposure to developmentally appropriate, literacy-rich environments wherever they are, including child care, Head Start, public school, or home with a parent or caregiver. The non-profit organization works to develop models for improving literacy that create systemic change in how the Buffalo community prepares children for success in school and supports them once they enter public school. A funding collaborative that includes the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation and The John R. Oishei Foundation supports the organization. For more information, visitwww.readtosucceedbuffalo.org