June 2020 Newsletter
Greetings!

In 1991 Barbara Bush gave the commencement address at the University of Michigan. She said,

“We all should be alarmed at the rise of intolerance in our land, and by the growing tendency to use intimidation rather than reason in settling disputes…We must build a society in which people can join in common causes without surrendering their identities. You can lead the way.”

Mrs. Bush’s words still ring true today as we continue to witness injustices and hatred in our own community and across our nation. So, what can we do?

We all can and must play a role in the solution. The great civil rights leader and activist Martin Luther King, Jr., believed, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

As a Foundation, we will continue to focus on our important mission of education and ensure that we do our part to advocate for and provide programs and resources for our youngest, most vulnerable children and their families. Education, particularly teaching children to read, is one of the greatest equalizers and strategies for change –powerful and empowering. Every child, regardless of race, family economic status or zip code, deserves an equal opportunity for a brighter future and a better life, a life in which they may enjoy all of the liberties that the Founding Fathers of our great nation designed for our citizenry.

We hope you will join us on our continued quest and invite you to be a point of light in our community by spreading kindness and supporting solutions to equity of opportunity and equality.

With a heart filled with hope and optimism,
Julie Baker Finck, Ph.D.
President
Upcoming Events
Gala Renamed and Chairs Announced
The Young Professionals Group of the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation is pleased to announce that  Nick Carnrite and Kasey McNorton  and  Jeff Carnrite and Joselyn Tego  will be chairing its annual, signature fundraiser, called  Storybook Gala  (formerly Jungle Book Gala). This year’s black-tie soirée will be held on Friday, November 13 at The Hotel ZaZa Museum District. Don’t be late for this very important date, because this  Alice in Wonderland -themed event will feature Drywater Band and raise funds for children's literacy programs across Houston.
600 Children to Venture to Virtual Camp 
this Summer
We are excited to share that 600 children, primaily in Fifth and Third Wards, will have an opportunity to participate in  Camp Adventure!  this   July for free thanks to generous support from  Phillips 66, Castro’s Kids, Young Professionals Group, KPMG, Marathon Oil, Smart Financial Foundation,   Target  and our generous donors. Although Camp Adventure! will not be delivered in our traditional two-week, face-to-face environment, we are grateful that our partners at Children’s Museum of Houston have adapted the summer learning program to be delivered as hybrid program consisting of at-home activities and resources, accompanied by digital content.  
 
Specifically, “Adventure Kits” will be distributed to HISD families in English and Spanish via curbside pick-up at two host schools thanks to district and school leaders. Each kit will contain 15 books, S.T.E.M. and literacy experiments and lessons, along with recreation and art activities including everything but the water. These activities will be enhanced with video content and distance learning sessions led by CMH educators and a host of other resources and activities, such as a reading log. Daily schedules will help parents plan the five days of Camp! around their own busy schedules. The program curriculum is designed to mitigate summer learning loss and stimulate children’s curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking ability in science, technology, engineering, math, reading, writing and the arts.  
Tune in to Mrs. Bush Story Time
Mrs. Bush  on the set of Sesame Street with  Big Bird  and  Count von Count  for story time with kids.  
Thanks to the  Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy , you and your family can enjoy  Mrs. Bush’s Story Time , a radio program co-produced with the Philadelphia-based Children’s Literacy Initiative and ABC Radio, originally aired from 1990 to 1994. Hosted by Doro Bush Koch, the podcast features archived audio recordings of Mrs. Bush reading cherished children’s stories aloud with special guests like Winnie the Pooh, Daffy Duck, Elmo, and Grover, and celebrities including Oprah and Alan Arkin. 
#WeRead Gains Momentum
If you haven’t taken time to enjoy story time videos through our #WeRead initiative , then you are missing out! This program is gaining momentum across our city. Last month, Telemundo Houston, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Astros Foundation, Stages and others stepped up to share their favorite picture books with Houston children and their families. Check out the videos and share with others on your social media network. Be sure to tag #WeRead in your posts.
YPG Supports Local
Community Organizations
Our  Young Professionals Group  has been resourceful and focused in its effort to meet the greatest needs of underserved children through its partnership with community- based organizations across Houston. The transition from in-person, classroom-based learning to distance learning has been difficult for students and families, largely due to the lack of educational technology and learning resources in the home.  

In fact, based on a survey conducted district wide by HISD, 35% of students lack adequate technology resources at home. For this reason, the YPG is working to combat this technological divide by making a $25,000 donation of 50 tablets/ iPad devices (including headphones and protective cases), school supplies, and over 800 bilingual and English books to  Small Steps Nurturing Center, Houston Area Women's Center, San Francisco Nativity Academy, and Community Family Centers .  

“During these uncertain times, it is important that the YPG invest a portion of the funds raised from last year’s Gala to provide children with access to educational resources to continue their education from home,” said YPG Chair Victoria Villarreal. “These four organizations all provide services to children that reside in some of the highest need neighborhoods across the city of Houston. These students deserve access to a stable education and the resources that will allow that to happen.”  

Through these unprecedented times, the YPG continues to exemplify the words of First Lady Barbara Bush: "Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our mind to the unexplained worlds occupied by the needs of others." 
Corporate Literacy Point of Light: Reliant
Since the Foundation’s formation by the Bush family in 2013, we have relied on generous donors and dedicated volunteers to advance our mission. Community-minded corporations have played an instrumental role in raising awareness, bridging the gap in access to literacy resources and programs and building capacity for change through the gift of employee time and talent. This month, we shine the light on Reliant, one of our most dedicated corporate partners in the fight to end Houston’s literacy crisis. For the past five years, Reliant has been partnering with us to power Houston through literacy and ensure that all children have the tools they need to read and succeed. 

Under the leadership of President Elizabeth Killinger, Reliant has leveraged their incredible sponsorship of the Houston Rockets to underwrite appearances by Houston Rockets players and mascot Clutch at our events, partner with our Ladies for Literacy Guild and the Houston Rockets Women’s Organization to support the Annual Community Book Drive and have created special marketing campaigns and promotions, such as public service announcements, social media videos and Double-Double campaigns, to raise awareness, funding and books to support the Foundation. Reliant is strategic in its investments and aligns its various relationships to create greater synergy and community impact.
Literacy Point of Light: Benjamin Gottfried
For the month of June, we recognize Benjamin Gottfried as a Literacy Point of Light. Benjamin is a loyal office volunteer who has dedicated over 110 hours of service to the Foundation since July 2019.  

Benjamin first got his start with the Foundation when he applied for an internship position for the summer of 2019, fresh off his junior year at Glenda Dawson High School in Pearland. Coming from a family of teachers, getting involved with a literacy organization was a no-brainer for Benjamin.  

“My grandmother and my mother were both elementary school teachers, so I’ve had the importance of reading ingrained in me from a very young age,” Benjamin explained. “I knew that Houston was experiencing a literacy crisis and wanted to do everything in my power to help.”  
25 Great Read Aloud Books
for Home or Class with Guides
by J ulie Baker Finck, Ph.D. & Cindy Puryear
 
Reading aloud has many benefits. Whether you are a parent or teacher, reading aloud is an important daily habit. We’ve compiled a list of 25 of our favorite picture books targeting children ages 6-9 based on the following criteria: the story is engaging for young readers; the author uses sophisticated words that stretch vocabulary; illustrations support comprehension and add to the underlying meaning; there is a strong social emotional learning component that is age appropriate; and the volume of text can be easily read in 30 minutes or less. 

These books are all featured in  Reading Roundup , a program designed by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation through a generous grant from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo®. The program aims to engage children in story time with carefully selected picture books. We’ve also designed customized “Lesson Guides” for each of these books for parents and teachers to use which incite discussion, deepen comprehension and have fun with your child or classroom. Accompanying lesson guides are available by clicking here.
Virtual Reading Mentoring
When given the right tools and training, volunteers can play an important role in providing children with the extra support they need to become strong readers. When schools closed, face-to-face reading mentorship programs we developed and continue to support in HISD —Read Houston Read and Reading Roundup—were suspended. Since that time, we have worked closely with the district to enable all 1,200 program volunteers the opportunity to serve as virtual reading mentors within the district’s distance learning system so that they can provide high impact reading mentoring to striving readers.  Even with the school year coming to a close we are diligently working on the next phase. Virtual reading mentorship will continue to support HISD students during distanced summer school learning. We have expanded the program with the support of volunteers from our Ladies for Literacy Guild and staff. Going forward we will continue to take every opportunity to expand our diverse network of reading mentors to support young readers, no matter the obstacles the “new normal” may present.  
Literacy Partner Network Meetings Go Virtual
“Quarantined, but Not Quitting” was the theme of the recent Literacy Partner Network Virtual Meeting which featured speakers Elsa Mascardo, Elementary Literacy Curriculum Manager for HISD, Lisa Williams, Ph.D., Director of Gallery Programs for the Children's Museum of Houston, and Pete Zagone, English as a Second Language & Citizenship Program Manager at Memorial Assistance Ministries. Representatives from the more than 20 organizations in attendance engaged in discussions focused on different aspects of the pandemic and how organizations have adjusted programs and services to meet the continued and evolving needs of our community. "
A “Clutch” Wrap up of Community Book Drive  
The  Ladies for Literacy Guild wrapped up its Annual Community Book Drive in May with special help from  Reliant,  Houston Rockets and mascot Clutch. During the curbside drop off event, an estimated 4,000 new and gently loved books were donated to restock the Curiosity Cruiser mobile libraries and distribute to families through partner organizations Mission of Yahweh, New Hope Housing Reed and Santa Maria Hostel. Special thanks to Ladies for Literacy Book Drive Co-Chairs Mehrnaz Gill and Leah Stasney, committee members and the dozens of donors who dropped off books or made a monetary donation in support of this year’s special event. Together, we are teaming up to implement our game plan to slam dunk low literacy across our city.