Out-of-school reading habits of students has shown that even 15 minutes a day of independent reading can expose students to more than a million words of text in a year. - Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding, 1988

I owe so much to my mother who has always been a true example of an avid reader that shared her love of books with her children. Encouraging a child to read can create a positive chain reaction. Children who often read open their minds to new concepts, improve their spelling, punctuation and word recognition, and self-educate therefore enriching their scholastic experience.

My funder today wants to help youth to encourage their peers to read.

This week’s pick: Youth Service America (YSA) “is a resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people to serve locally, nationally, and globally. “

YSA is partnering with the National Education Association to award their Youth Leaders for Literacy Grants. Thirty Literacy Grants will be awarded to young people across the United States for successful and innovative projects that address a literacy need in their school or community. Five hundred dollars along with $500 in books will be granted to each awardee. Youth ages 5 to 25 are eligible. For more information on this opportunity, click here.