Supported by a 3.7 million dollar Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Mastery Schools is set to launch an effort this summer to transform classroom libraries in Philadelphia and Camden to enhance literacy and foster a lifelong love of reading among K-3 students. 

The initiative will kick off in school year 2024-2025, with three Mastery elementary schools, Clymer, Douglass, and McGraw, receiving $24,000 worth of books for their K-3 classroom libraries and resources to support multilingual learners, teacher and leader training, and family engagement.  

The new books will cater to students’ diverse needs and reading levels, with culturally rich and varied collections that encompass a wide range of genres, ensuring every child finds something engaging to read. Additionally, schools with identified needs will have access to Spanish-title libraries, further enhancing inclusivity and accessibility in literacy. To maximize the impact of this initiative, Mastery’s academic team will dedicate the summer months to categorizing and labeling libraries, empowering students to independently choose books that intrigue them throughout the school year.

The work aims to support Mastery’s overarching goal to support students to meet or surpass peer literacy averages at both the state and national levels by third grade. By ensuring that over 4,500 K-3 students are reading proficiently by the third grade, Mastery is building the foundation for a brighter academic future for its young readers.

Looking ahead, Mastery is committed to sustaining this initiative. Over the next five years, we will continue to select three elementary schools annually for classroom library replenishment, ensuring a rich reading environment for all. 

“Due to our limited budgets, we have not replenished our classroom libraries for more than 10 years. We are so grateful to have this opportunity to get fresh, new, engaging books directly into our classrooms where students will have easy access to choose books that interest them during independent reading time.” – Molly Getz, Deputy Chief Academic Officer

Click here to catch a glimpse of how excited our students were for these announcements!