Current second-graders at Latta Elementary School in Latta soon be selecting books to take home and read for the summer.
It’s part of Read for Success, a program developed by Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), the nation’s largest children’s literacy organization. Duke Energy is partnering with RIF to offer the program to 36 elementary schools in the Pee Dee region.
“This is an investment in our region,” said Clark Gillespy, Duke Energy South Carolina president. “Every child should have the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. This program provides the tools to help children and their families keep the students on the path of success.”
Since 1966, RIF has distributed more than 412 million books to more than 40 million children nationwide.  
For the South Carolina program, the students will receive eight summer books of their choosing and a book bag of items to take home for the summer months.
Teachers will receive a collection of 35 fiction and nonfiction books for the classroom; printed and online access to enrichment and instructional activities; and, online professional development to effectively implement the Read for Success program.
Summer is an important time when students can either get ahead or fall behind academically, depending in large part on their resources and opportunities. Students who lose reading ability over the summer rarely catch up. Existing research shows that 75 percent of students who read poorly in third grade, a benchmark for literacy skill building, remain poor readers in high school.
“The Read for Success program has been tested over two years among 33,000 students,” said Carol Rasco, CEO of Reading Is Fundamental.  “Results show it can reverse the trend of summer reading loss for more than half the participating students.”
The results of the program will be evaluated in the fall as part of Duke Energy’s ongoing efforts to support childhood literacy in the states it serves.

Duke Energy
Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy is a Fortune 125 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DUK. Its South Carolina electric utility operations services more than 730,000 customers. More information about the company is available at www.duke-energy.com.

Reading Is Fundamental
Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) transforms lives through the power of books. By providing children in need with access to books of their choosing, RIF empowers young minds to embrace the world of reading and develop a love of learning. To learn more, see www.rif.org.