Home / Education / Currys Invest $25M to Boost Oakland Reading Skills
Currys Invest $25M to Boost Oakland Reading Skills
31 Oct
Summary
- Currys commit $25 million over five years for literacy.
- Program aims to help 10,000 Oakland elementary students.
- Focuses on students reading two or more grades below level.
The Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, co-founded by Stephen and Ayesha Curry, announced a major initiative on August 29, 2024, committing $25 million over five years to provide one-on-one reading tutoring for about 10,000 Oakland elementary students. This represents the foundation's largest literacy investment to date.
The program is designed to serve Oakland Unified School District students who are reading two or more grade levels below their expected proficiency. This effort addresses a widespread issue, as nearly half of the district's elementary students are currently performing below grade level. The initiative aims to provide high-dosage tutoring to strengthen reading and writing skills, offering support that many families cannot afford.
Preliminary results from a pilot program in spring showed promising outcomes, with 85% of participating students closing their foundational reading skills gaps. The Oakland Unified School District is reinforcing these efforts by investing an additional $25 million for small-group tutoring, with a goal to support up to 4,500 students annually by 2029.
Since its inception in 2019, the Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation has invested over $100 million in Oakland, impacting nutrition, education, and physical activity. Their initiatives include delivering millions of meals, renovating schoolyards and gymnasiums, redesigning cafeterias, and distributing over a million new books to students.
