Fathers Incorporated Celebrates Its 80th Real Dads Read Literacy Center with Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
ATLANTA: Fathers Incorporated, the leading national non-profit for the promotion of responsible fatherhood will dedicate its 80th Real Dads Read (www.realdadsread.org) literacy center in partnership with Little Free Library at M. Agnes Jones Elementary, the first APS STEM Certified School in metro-Atlanta. The event will be marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the school at 1040 Fair St SW, Atlanta on Monday, April 29, 2019, at Noon. This makes the 20th literacy center in southwest Atlanta for Fathers Incorporated's Real Dads Read initiative.
The total investment Fathers Incorporated (FI) (http://www.fathersincorporated.com/) has devoted in the Vine City community, where M. Agnes Jones Elementary School is located, equates to over $100K in funding in an effort to close the reading achievement gap in lower-income communities that often result in children being more than three years behind their peers educationally.
Principal, Dr. Margul Woolfolk, as well as key faculty and staff of M. Agnes Jones, will be present along with key members of Westside Future Fund and Fathers Incorporated. Kenneth Braswell, Chief Executive Officer of Fathers Incorporated, will make brief remarks prior to the cutting of the ribbon.
Dr. Woolfolk shares, "Having a Real Dad's Read program will make a wonderful impact on our scholars seeing how important reading is to everyone!" She explains, "Dad's modeling how reading is a part of their lives and interacting with students and the community through the libraries will place our literacy focus on a trajectory that's transformative!"
Braswell shares, "It is an honor to serve the community of Atlanta's Historic Westside. When we began Real Dads Read two short years ago, we never imagined that we would impact so many fathers and their children." He continues, "With the support of Little Free Library and Hachette Books FI has been able to distribute around 10,000 books in Metro Atlanta. With the help of new partners, we are looking to exceed our goal of 100 literacy centers in barbershops and schools by the end of 2019."
Mr. Braswell serves as a Board Member of the Little Free Library, a nonprofit organization that inspires a love of reading, builds community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world.
Real Dads Read is a project aimed at elementary and middle school-aged children (K-8) and their fathers/male caregivers to encourage a love of reading, improve literacy skills and educational outcomes, and to strengthen bonds between fathers/caregivers and their children.
