Ava McMahon, Jaliyah Macha-Helker, and Landon Sweig receive their first three books at the Family Kick Off for the Kids Read Now! program.

NIAGARA, Wis. — The School District of Niagara has been awarded a $3,000 Mark Tauscher Memorial Grant from the Trifecta Foundation.

The grant will be used to continue to fund the Kids Read Now summer reading program. The grant will cover approximately half of the program, with the district picking up the remaining cost.

As part of this program, students in kindergarten through third grade will be able to choose nine books they want to read over the summer.

The books are selected with teacher assistance and are at students’ reading levels. Students will receive the books over the course of the summer, and they are theirs to keep.

Family engagement is an important part of this grant. A few weeks before summer vacation, students receive their first three books at a Family Literacy Event, where teachers talk with parents about the importance of reading with their children and answer questions about the program.

Kids Read Now then keeps parents engaged throughout the summer with weekly outreach via phone calls and emails. When students finish one book, parents report back to receive their next book in the mail. Students read a book to get a book, and keep all the books they receive, building the home libraries of our families.

“Reading at home is critical when it comes to helping students become lifelong readers. The School District of Niagara is especially proud to be able to support families by providing high interest books delivered right to their mailboxes. We know that when kids read throughout the summer, they are preventing loss of academic gains made during the school year. We know the books students receive at home during the summer will make a difference in their future,” said a school official.