History of Organization:

Reading and Beyond, which was founded in 1999, works child by child and parent by parent to help low-income children succeed. Reading and Beyond is a grassroots organization that has the ultimate goal of providing needy communities in Fresno County with innovative family-oriented programs such as: literacy tutoring; early childhood education; and education/ training for parents. Reading and Beyond goes where families are, and currently operates 16 sites in Fresno County.

When the Reading and Beyond opened its doors, it occupied two rooms and had 30 children attending its after-school literacy-tutoring program. Over the years, the organization has grown tremendously and is consistently helping students to succeed in school and enjoy learning. Every year we have exceeded our annual goal of achieving at least a 70% rate of students who reach their grade level in reading. Moreover, Reading and Beyond has been recognized by the Department of Education and Fresno Unified School District for our quality services for parents and children. Reports from parents and teachers demonstrate the direct community benefit of the program.

At Reading and Beyond, children from families with limited education discover their potential as students, and set new limits and expectations for themselves. Also, parents learn how they can help their children succeed at school even when they feel academically unprepared to help them.

Currently, Reading and Beyond helps 700 children each day and hundreds of families per year. Reading and Beyond reaches out to families at different locations (apartment complexes, malls, packing houses, schools, community organizations, and more); conducts educational home-visits; and uses a 35 foot long RV remodeled into a classroom to reach-out to difficult-to-reach parents.

Who We Serve

Fresno County’s Demographics: The population of Fresno, California, is very diverse. There are over 70 nationalities living in Fresno. Moreover, over 101 languages are spoken. Poverty is also a big problem in Fresno. Many families in Fresno are living in poverty. More than half of Fresno's Kindergarten through Sixth grade students are below the poverty income level.

Reading and Beyond’s target population: The combination of low-income, non-English speaking immigrant/refugee households concentrated in Fresno is Reading and Beyond’s target community. It is the mission of the organization mission to assist our students and their families to overcome the significant obstacles presented by their economic and/or cultural disadvantages.
Almost eighty percent of our student population receives free lunch at school; an indicator of low socioeconomic status.

The following table illustrates the ethnic background of the student population that the organization serves: