Category: Dive Into Reading

With Dive into Reading kicking off into full gear this week – we can’t help but give a BIG THANK YOU to everyone involved for the outpouring support we’ve received! Thank you to OVER 236 volunteer mentors dedicating their time and thanks to companies like FELD Entertainment, Willis Smith Construction, the Manatee County Clerk’s Office, Sokos Social, and Insurance Time of Bradenton for giving time off for their employees to volunteer and change a child’s life forever. Along with the volunteer support, this program could not be made possible without the support and contributions made from our Corporate Sponsors and

We are thrilled to announce that our Dive Into Reading program is returning this June with more locations and more kids! The Anna Maria Oyster Bar created this program in partnership with the School District of Manatee County and the Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading with help from many community partners. In Manatee County alone, 49% of our 3rd Grade students are not able to read to their grade level and their opportunities to catch up are limited. From birth to 3rd grade children learn to read; from 3rd grade on, they read to learn – we have to give our children

Each year, we try to recognize a special group or organization for our annual holiday dinner party. This Christmas, we wanted to invite the students, their families, and volunteer mentors from our first ever “Dive into Reading” Summer Reading Program. The program focused on improving the reading levels of rising 3rd graders and to prevent a concept called the “Summer Slide”, where students that stop learning over summer break have a hard time catching back up. You can read more about the details of the Dive Into Reading program here. The program turned out to be a huge success for