Dr. Seuss, San Diego foundations grant $1.5M to local literacy programs

Whether with a cat in a hat, a fox in a box or the Lorax, young readers got a boost Wednesday thanks to a joint effort between the Dr. Seuss Foundation and San Diego Foundation to improve youth literacy rates.

The foundations launched Ready to Learn, a $15 million joint initiative intended to boost literacy development for children across San Diego County, along with more than $1 million in inaugural grants to 18 local literacy nonprofits.

The foundations have collaborated for three years already, providing more than $3 million in grants to expand access to early educational opportunities and improve reading skills for children in the region. Ready to Learn is intended to build on that relationship.

"Dr. Seuss Foundation is excited to deepen our partnership with San Diego Foundation to create lasting change in early literacy," said Jay Hill, executive director of the Dr. Seuss Foundation. "Through Ready to Learn, we're honoring Theodor Geisel's legacy by ensuring that the joy of reading reaches children during their most formative years, setting them on a path toward lifelong learning and success."

With the $15 million endowment from the San Diego Foundation, the Seuss Foundation should be set for long-term financial support for the program.

"A child's brain is 90% developed by age 5, making early literacy essential for school readiness and lifelong success," said Mark Stuart, president and CEO of San Diego Foundation. "Strengthening our collaboration with the Dr. Seuss Foundation ensures every child in San Diego County has the opportunity to develop a strong foundation in reading during those crucial first five years."

The need is pressing, with the San Diego Council on Literacy finding 46% of third graders in the San Diego Unified School District not meet state standards for language arts. Between 20% to 25% of adults in San Diego County read prose at the lowest level of literacy -- the grade level equivalent of 0- 4.

The foundations also announced $1,050,000 in grants to 18 local literacy nonprofits, as follows:

• American Association of Pediatrics, California Chapter 3: $75,000;
• Basic Assistance to Students in the Community: $25,000;
• Boys and Girls Club of Vista: $30,000;
• Chicano Federation: $50,000;
• Diamond Educational Excellence Partnership: $75,000;
• Episcopal Community Services: $75,000;
• Father Joe's Villages: $75,000;
• Library Foundation SD: $50,000;
• Literacy Partners: $50,000;
• Monarch School Project: $75,000;
• Reading Legacies: $50,000;
• San Diego Rescue Mission: $75,000;
• SBCS: $75,000;
• Social Advocates for Youth San Diego Inc.: $35,000;
• Somali Family Service of San Diego: $50,000;
• TrueCare: $75,000;
• Words Alive: $75,000; and
• YMCA of San Diego County: $35,000.

For more information about Ready to Learn, the grantees selected Wednesday and how to support the initiative, visit SDFoundation.org/ReadytoLearn.