Empowering Volunteers with Jessica Bowersox, ED of SMART Reading

A Church Fights for the Future of it's Community

An interview with Pastor Herman Greene, the founder of Lit Camp in North Portland, Oregon. Pastor Greene has been an activist and community organizer in some of Portland's most diverse neighborhoods for three decades. As a former educator, faith leader and civil rights advocate, Herman (alongside his family and church abundantlifepdx.com) have managed numerous programs around hunger, access, sports, mentoring and education. Several years ago, Pastor Greene was exposed to the unique and transformative impact of literacy among underserved youth. With the assistance of a network of literacy friends, he and his community launched Lit Camp and has just completed their first cohort of young students, mentored by high school students from within the community and shepherded by church members and leaders from the Triple Threat mentoring program (https://www.triplethreatmentoring.com). Pastor's commitment led him to run and be elected to the Portland Public School Board so he could fight for the futures of all students in North Portland, while simultaneously building parallel literacy programs during school breaks to support academic excellence.

ALERT:  Library of Congress to Show SENTENCED Documentary

Hear about the stunning procession of events that led the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, to host a showing of the heart-breaking illiteracy documentary, SENTENCED, before many of the country’s most influential political, business and religious leaders in the Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress.  David Austin, Board Director of the Children’s Literacy Project, shares the whole story of how this historic Capitol premier came about.  He also explains the event’s significance and the larger role the LOC is playing not only in showing this culture-altering film, but also as an education leader more broadly. Learn about the 11th of September, 2024…

How to Become a Literacy Church

Please join this heartfelt discussion with Doug Kempton.  Doug is the Pastor of Grace Community Church in Detroit, Michigan.  This is a ‘nuts and bolts’ conversation about the structures and systems to launch, build and sustain a literacy outreach program in any church. Grace Community Church is an enthusiastic and successful Literacy Church.  Doug has been serving his congregation and the children of Detroit for decades.  He is also the founder of SOAR Detroit (soardetroit.com), an organization that provides tutoring to help kids flourish.  He is also the pastor of a “Literacy Church.” Tony and Doug explore their shared passion behind…

Empowering Volunteers with Jessica Bowersox, ED of SMART Reading

Jessica Bowersox became the Executive Director of SMART Reading in July 2022. She has been with the organization since 2010, as the Communications Director and later the Deputy Director. As a member of the organization’s executive leadership team for more than a decade, she has played an integral role in setting strategic vision for SMART and working with staff and board leadership to fulfill that vision.

Speaking with the Co-Director of SENTENCED:  Connor Martin

Fall 2024 will mark the release of the new documentary on literacy called:  SENTENCED.  SENTENCED is an immersive and vulnerable exploration of the epidemic of childhood illiteracy through a series of braided character driven stories. Executive produced and narrated by 4x NBA basketball champion Stephen Curry, this film contributes to a movement that is designed to launch 1,000,000 volunteers into early childhood literacy.  Filmed from the point of view of ethnically diverse adults and children who have never learned to read, SENTENCED is a forceful yet tender tale of how literacy can free children from the cycles of generational poverty. Connor Martin lives in Oregon…