SMART Reading

Children in the Columbia River Gorge and Northeast Oregon are becoming more confident readers, thanks to the many hours contributed by our generous and caring volunteers. In the 2022-23 school year, we served 810 PreK through third-grade students and gave away 8,690 books in the cities of Cascade Locks, Halfway, Hermiston, Hood River, Moro, Odell, Pendleton, and The Dalles. Our SMART Reading team, dedicated Site Coordinators and members of our local area Leadership Councils, are working hard to recruit new volunteers and raise the needed funds to continue to grow SMART Reading in this region. Our goal is to increase the number of children we are able to serve and have the opportunity to introduce them to the wonderful world of books and a lifelong love of reading. Volunteers are a vital part of our mission. We can’t provide reading support and books to local kids without YOU! Local Staff: Jennifer Zardinejad Area Director Kate Drahota Program Manager

Across Oregon communities, kids aren’t meeting reading benchmarks, despite the efforts of our hard-working families and educators. We want to change that, but we can’t do it alone. At SMART Reading, we hold to one simple truth: reading matters. It’s an early gateway skill that paves the pathway for future success. Without it, kids are simply less likely to graduate high school, find employment, or successfully avoid hardships like poverty, homelessness, hunger and other injustices. Founded in 1992, SMART Reading is a children’s literacy nonprofit that serves kids in Oregon’s highest need schools and marginalized communities with two ingredients critical for literacy and learning success: shared reading time and books to keep. We mobilize volunteers to provide reading support and access to books for children from birth to 8th grade, helping to build confidence, literacy skills, and a love of reading. Importantly, we know it works. Reading motivation and enjoyment are critical components of literacy development, and by the end of the year, 9 in 10 SMART Reading students grow in their enjoyment of reading. SMART Reading provides a meaningful way for Oregonians to make a direct impact in their communities. Our Vision An Oregon where all children can realize their full potential through reading. Our Mission To spark joy and opportunity through the magic of a shared book.