Tag Archive for: united way

United WE READ Continues Serving Students in Summer 2020.

Over 1,000 books were given to Greater Kingsport students and families through school feeding sites and at a local apartment complex.

United WE READ was set to offer our 4th annual Camp Read to Lead this summer (see 2019’s summary here)! With a generous grant from the Ballad Health Foundation, we were excited to continue offering this successful program to 1st and 2nd grade students. But then, the COVID-19 Pandemic swept the globe, life changed, and we knew we needed to pivot the experience.

Thanks to the help of our wonderful United WE READ summer teachers and the strategic guidance of our leadership team, we successfully transformed our operation to safely offer a 4-week book distribution and online read-aloud experience. Over 1,000 books were given to Greater Kingsport students and families through school feeding sites and at a local apartment complex. Our United WE READ teachers also took turns reading aloud to students via interactive Zoom calls and YouTube live videos.

Re-watch our 4-week YouTube series below! Thank you to our United WE READ teachers for making this summer successful!

What do you do with an idea? Follow along as Ms. Jamie reads the story What Do You Do With An Idea? written by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom.
Where do stories come from? What makes a story? Follow along as Ms. Ali reads “I Am A Story” written by Dan Yaccarino.
Have you ever made a mistake? How can you change a “mistake” into something wonderful? Follow along as Ms. Diane reads “The Book of Mistakes” by Corinna Luyken.
What do you do with a problem? Follow along as Ms. Ali reads the story “What Do You Do With A Problem? written by Kobi Yamada, illustrated by Mae Besom.

Local United Ways and Ballad Health Announce Early Grade Reading Partnership

United Way of Greater Kingsport and the United WE READ Initiative are excited to announce their participation in a regional partnership between Ballad Health and seven area United Ways.

With a $300,000 regional investment committed from the United Ways, Ballad Foundation, and Ballad Health employees, the momentum and support of this partnership ensures that United WE READ can continue to engage, empower, and equip all children, families, and the Greater Kingsport community with tools and strategies that build a literacy-rich culture, and a pathway to lifelong success, expanding on its successful programs and initiatives.

More can be read on the regional partnership through the stories that were reported via WJHL, Kingsport Times-News, and Bristol Herald Courier, among others.

Are you signed up for our newsletters so you hear the latest straight to your inbox? See the official United WE READ Newsletter announcement here, and sign up today!