Contact: Bruce Conley, News Information Director
Phone: (605) 274-5526
Fax: (605) 274-4903
e-mail: bruce_conley@augie.edu
www.augie.edu

January 7, 2003

Augustana Reads Program Receives Community Impact Grant

SIOUX FALLS - The Sioux Empire United Way board of directors has approved a Community Impact Grant of $12,559 to support the Augustana Reads program.

Augustana Reads is an after school literacy program that began in 1998. The program is a joint effort of Augustana College, The Multi-Cultural Center of Sioux Falls, and the Sioux Falls School District. Augustana College students, who are paid with college work-study funds, tutor the children.

Sioux Falls has experienced recent growth in minority populations due to refugee resettlement, immigration and a growing Hispanic community. The needs of children in this changing population have had a significant impact on classroom instruction and the Sioux Falls School District needed a way to provide tutors and reading coaches for elementary English as a Second Language (ESL) students. The America Reads' Challenge issued by President Bill Clinton and its link to the college work-study program became the framework for the Augustana Reads program.

The goals of Augustana Reads are to increase reading fluency, increase sight word vocabulary, increase student pleasure and participation time in literacy activities, and increase comprehension of written text.

During the 2002-2003 academic year, Augustana Reads will accommodate 41 students from two elementary schools. The Community Impact Grant will double the size of the program and include all four elementary schools that serve as cluster sites for ESL students who have basic skills levels significantly below the normal school population. In addition, the grant will increase the number of Augustana student tutors from nine to 17.

Dr. Laurie Wenger, assistant professor of education at Augustana, developed the curriculum for Augustana Reads. It includes a balanced literacy approach that integrates reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

Augustana Reads has been recognized by the Federal Work-Study Program as a regional award recipient for excellence in use of Work-Study funds.