Category "Our Program"

In October 2020, Read Better Be Better held its first online Fall Fundraiser to support our literacy and leadership program which, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, has transitioned from our traditional after-school format to an at-home version. The response to our fundraiser was overwhelming and, thanks to our supporters, over $31,000 was raised in just […]

This year has been like no other. For Arizona educators, the obstacles began in March 2020, when all schools in the state were closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With no federal guidelines provided to the states from the U.S. Department of Education, at a moment’s notice the Arizona Department of Education, district administrators, and […]

September 10th, 2020 In today’s digital age of #socialdistancing, word-of-mouth may seem like the least effective method of finding new donors. This, however, is not true—and we have proof! Adam Arkfeld, President and Founder of ParaCore—a digital marketing agency—has been doing business with Bob Figular, President of Mariners Learning System—an online Coast Guard approved Captain’s licensing school—for several years. Looking for a way to give back to ParaCore for their incredible […]

When it comes to literacy and poverty, the facts are clear. A student who can’t read on grade level by 3rd grade is four times less likely to graduate high school than a child who does read proficiently by that time. Add poverty to the mix, and a student is 13 times less likely to […]

There’s always more to learn. These five simple words carry an entire philosophy of thought within them. When I was a young ‘bot, I went through a phase where I thought I knew it all. In my defense, I figured I’d been programmed to maximum capacity and was already as smart as they come. Thankfully, […]

2017 has truly been a whirlwind of excitement, from Kelsey winning 20k in grants (in 6 minutes!) to getting our own office for the very first time. But I’m happy to announce things haven’t calmed down just yet. We recently partnered with Washington Elementary District, and launched in six of their schools this year. Yes, […]

Authors have a special place in my capacitor. After all, they’re the ones who turn reading into a beloved activity for children — and nothing’s more important in my book. The imagination, dedication, and ability it takes to weave words into stories is an art form I’ve admired ever since I was a young bot. This […]

Summertime. It hasn’t always been my favorite season if I’m being honest. I tend to overheat in the Arizona sun and I have to wear a wheel protector so I don’t melt on the asphalt. But the last few summers have been different. For the past three years, Valley of the Sun United Way has generously […]

The principal’s office can be a scary place for a third grader. Malik, a Little in the Read Better Be Better program, can attest to this. He’s had his share of visits to see Ms. Marze in the past, the principal at Sheely Farms Elementary School in the Tolleson Elementary District –- but recently something […]

Robots can’t exactly smile, but rest assured I am grinning from antenna to antenna right now. Why? Because I am incredibly excited to announce that Read Better Be Better has just launched in four new elementary schools: Solano, Longview, Encanto, and Clarendon. As you may already know, our goal is worldwide reading domination – which […]