May 16, 2002 | Read Time: 1 minute
Mustering the Armies of Compassion in Philadelphia, edited by Bill Hangley Jr. and Wendy S. McClanahan, examines an effort by faith-based organizations to tackle illiteracy among students in Philadelphia, a city where nearly half of the children in public schools who complete third grade have trouble reading basic books, according to the authors of the report. In 2000-01, a group of local faith-based schools, churches, and community organizations began a literacy program in which teachers and volunteers helped children improve their reading ability using proven techniques. Under the Youth Education for Tomorrow Program, classes were held at neighborhood faith-based institutions four days a week after school and during the summer. Of the nearly 1,000 children who enrolled, those who attended for six months or more gained an average of 1.9 years in reading ability. This report documents the effort, describes how the program worked, and examines the challenges and successes through interviews with staff members involved in the project.
Publisher: Public/Private Ventures, 2000 Market Street, Suite 600, Philadelphia, Pa. 19103; (215) 557-4400; fax (215) 557-4469; http://www.ppv.org; 58 pages.
