Planting Seeds for a Love of Reading

James Young, J3 Staff at Watts Learning Center welcomes J3 students as they step into the Cozy Reading Club, a safe and happy space where they catch up on their reading skills and learn the emotional skills to pave a better future for themselves.

This summer, J3 Foundation launched the first wave of their Cozy Reading Club Pop-ups to show kids that reading can be accessible and fun. 

That’s a tough sell for kids in summer school, but J3 has a knack for getting kids excited about reading. They’ve made it their mission. Childhood illiteracy leads to hardships in adulthood – from poverty to higher incarceration rates, and the problem is only growing. 

Still, J3 remains optimistic. The organization is always strategizing new ways to spread their reach to underserved communities across Los Angeles that need their help the most. They started their one-day Summer Pop-ups to stay connected with their current schools, give potential new schools a taste of what they do, and build relationships with teachers who might be a good fit for the program.

As for the kids, J3’s Pop-ups are a bright spot in their summer school day. The students giggle as they read the Book of the Day, get their creative juices flowing with reflective exercises, and end the session with some cozy reading under forts and string lights.

When fall comes, J3 invites fourth graders who are reading below grade-level to join their 30-week program. During this time, kids practice their reading skills, master mindfulness exercises, dive into a library of more than 5,000 diverse books, and even read to puppies.

J3 Site Coordinator, Becky Li, at Clinton Elementary (Compton, CA) chooses a lucky student to ring the chime and lead the class through a mindfulness exercise where they all close their eyes,  breathe, and find stillness before class begins.

Behind all of the fun is a rigorously researched literary curriculum that delivers results. 90% of their kids graduate with significantly higher reading scores. Even more, 95% of J3 students reported that they read for fun after the program. J3 often receives phone calls from parents thanking them because they see their child reading – something they never imagined.  

A parent and student at Roosevelt Elementary (Compton, CA) snuggle up together with a book on Parent Night celebrating the end of the session.

J3’s goal is to create a community of lifelong readers. And through their efforts, they’ve embedded themselves into the communities they serve in both big and little ways. From their “hiring from within” strategy to gifting picture books to their graduates so that they can spread the joy of reading to younger siblings or neighbors, everything J3 does is intentional and often creates a “halo” effect on the community. 

J3’s Summer Pop-up initiative is another tactic in their playbook that helps them support their students all year long. The kids that attend the Pop-up during summer school become little ambassadors for the non-profit. Season after season, J3 sows their seeds in hopes of spreading the benefits of reading in the most vulnerable neighborhoods, where many families can’t afford books. 

At Watts Learning Center (Los Angeles, CA), kids play Classwords, a vocabulary game, one of the many exercises and tools J3 uses in their research-backed, results-driven curriculum created by child educators and psychologists. 

“I’m a big fan of seed planting. The more we get embedded in the school, the more we hear them say, ‘That J3 program works’,” says Arthur Scott, J3 Program Coordinator. A past teacher at Watts Learning Center Elementary, Arthur joined J3 after seeing the impact that the non-profit was making.

“Use us as much as you can. We are your stepping stones,” Arthur says to the principals. 

Help J3 pave the way to a brighter future through the power of reading for the kids who need it the most. Donate today.