The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy will provide its nationally recognized Teen Trendsetters™ reading mentoring program in Jackson Public Schools for an additional three years, thanks to a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Teen Trendsetters is a family literacy program that pairs middle or high school mentors with first or second grade students who are, on average, half a year behind in reading.
Now in its second year in Jackson Public Schools, the Teen Trendsetters program has already engaged nearly 300 pairs of teens (mentors) and elementary school students (mentees) in 10 elementary schools.
First Lady Deborah Bryant has been a strong supporter of the program since its launch in Mississippi, and shared her excitement about the Foundation’s extended commitment to Jackson schools, stating: “I am beyond excited to learn that the Teen Trendsetters program will be ongoing in Mississippi. We continue to have successful literacy gains through our combined efforts to help our families and schools address the needs of early elementary students. The proven results of this mentorship program is another win for our children.”
More information, including a list of programs in Jackson Public Schools, is available here.
You may also contact Lauren Sproull, Director of Communications, at lauren.sproull@barbarabush.org or (850) 562-5300.