Caitlin Clark Teams Up with Scholastic to Support Children's Literacy

Mar. 15, 2025

Caitlin Clark on April 14, 2024 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York.Photo:Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty

Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty

Caitlin Clarkis expanding the libraries of children.

The Caitlin Clark Foundationannouncedon Wednesday, Jan. 22, that Scholastic donated  22,000 new books to the WNBA star’s charitable foundation in collaboration with Scholastic’s national literacy program,the United States of Readers.The program, which launched in September 2021, is “dedicated to bridging the gap of literacy and book inequity” for students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade who attend under-resourced schools across the country, according to Scholastic.

The new donation was made in an effort “to create awareness and measurable impact of early age reading access in under-resourced schools through the United States of Readers and other programs,” a news release explains.

The 22,000 books are expected to cover a range of reading levels and school ages, including elementary and middle schools. They will also be distributed to children’s hospitals and other non-profit organizations, with a special focus on students in Clark’s home state, Iowa, perUSA Today.

Caitlin Clark on December 12, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts.Marla Aufmuth/Getty

Marla Aufmuth/Getty

“Reading and education have always been hugely important in my life. I remember picking out the books from the Scholastic flyer and how empowering that was for me as a child, and how motivated I was to read,” Clark, 23, said in the news release.

Chief Impact Officer at Scholastic Judy Newman also noted “Caitlin is a proven role model, and we are thrilled to work together with the Caitlin Clark Foundation to make reading more accessible to kids everywhere.”

Additionally, theReading is Fundamental organizationreported in 2022 that 34% of children entering kindergarten “lack the basic language skills needed to learn how to read” and 67% of fourth graders read at or below the basic level.

TheNational Literacy Institute reportedin the 2022-23 study that 40% of U.S. students cannot read at a basic level.

Caitlin Clark on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas.Maddie Meyer/Getty

Maddie Meyer/Getty

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The United States of Readers program has seen an increase in literacy, motivation and self-confidence in the participating 65,000 students nationwide, Newman reported.

Working with Clark will create “champion-level advocacy and support” to help “make radical moves and inspire meaningful improvement to change the trajectory of child literacy rates in America.”

source: people.com