On March 19, we hosted a Literacy Event to update the community and donors, highlighting Guilford County School’s Leadership, where they announced that High-Dosage Tutoring is working and we need to keep the momentum going and really dig deep on teaching young children how to read!  Over the last year, the High Point Community Foundation has focused on High-Dosage Tutoring through our Literacy Initiative by partnering with Guilford County Schools (GCS) to bring tutoring into our local High Point elementary schools. If we really want to eliminate illiteracy in High Point, we need High-Dosage Tutoring in every elementary school, because it works!

The High Point City Manager and HPCF Trustee, Tasha Logan Ford discusses the important of literacy to support local businesses that will in turn help build a strong community.  The city contributed $250,000 to the initiative, where Tasha states it is an investment for the future prosperity of High Point.

The goal is to have children reach their full potential.  It is turning a wish that we have to do better into reality.

Tasha Logan Ford, High Point City Manager

Roundtable Discussion – GCS Leadership:

Paul Lessard – President, High Point Community Foundation

Dr. Whitney Oakley – Superintendent, Guilford County Schools

Jusmar Maness – Chief Academic Officer, Guilford County Schools

Yajaira Owens – Principal, Kirkman Park Elementary

The schools where we are doing the high-dosage tutoring regularly are seeing more progress at the middle of the year than we have seen.

Whitney Oakley, Superintendent, GCS

Most of the High-Dosage tutors attending the event and were recognized for the amazing work they are doing teaching these children to read – they are making an impact to not only the students, but to the community as a whole.

The High Point Community Foundation committed $800,000 for 2 years in 4 High Point elementary schools to prove that tutoring is valuable and works!

My dream is to see High-Dosage Tutoring placed in all 14 High Point elementary schools by 2028.  This is the only way we can even begin to break our historical cycle of illiteracy and create a new generation of students who are entering the 3rd grade ready to learn.  This will produce decreased discipline issues, greatly enhanced test scores, more student retention and higher performance.

Paul Lessard, President, High Point Community Foundation