All America City Award 2022

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The National Civic League and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading have named Sacramento as one of ten city winners in its annual All-America City Award for our unique public-private collaboration aimed at improving student literacy in Sacramento’s Promise Zone, an initiative of the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA).

Spearheaded by the Sacramento Literacy Foundation and the Sacramento Promise Zone, Sacramento’s nationally recognized project – the Promise Zone Literacy Initiative – is aimed at bringing one-to-one early reader tutoring programs, writing programs, and summer reading programs to affordable housing students communities.

The goal of the project is to have all children in the Promise Zone reading at grade-level. Pre-pandemic, only 46% of 3rd grade students in Sacramento County were at grade-level reading and only 36% were at grade-level in the Promise Zone, an example of the disproportionate negative impact on historically marginalized communities.

You can read our full application. You can see our winning presentation below.

Read Full Application

Sacramento’s 10 Minute Presentation

The winning team included: City Councilperson and Mayor Pro Tem, Eric Guerra; Executive Director, La Shelle Dozier, and Promise Zone Manager, Julius Austin, from SHRA; Executive Director, April Javist, from the Sacramento Literacy Foundation; Read On! Program Coordinator, Miranda Williams, from 916 Ink; Program Manager, Ryan Mallory, from the Sacramento Chinese Community Service Center; President and CEO, Dr. Dawnte Early, of United Way California Capitol Region; and Executive Director, Beth Southorn, from LifeSTEPS.

Sacramento Literacy Organizations

The Sacramento Promise Zone (SPZ) creates cross-sector partnerships between federal, state and local agencies to improve the quality of life and drive community revitalization in 22 square miles of the Sacramento’s most underprivileged and marginalized neighborhoods. SPZ supports local leaders by sharing resources, building capacity and facilitating partnerships. The Promise Zone goals: 1) Create Jobs; 2) Increase Economic Activity; 3) Improve Educational Opportunities; 4) Improve Health and Wellness; and 5) Facilitate Neighborhood Revitalization. Learn more about the Sacramento Promise Zone here.

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The Sacramento Public Library offers modern technology trends in reading, services to get children ready for school, opportunities to create, and safe and welcoming spaces.

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For 100 years, United Way California Capital Region (UWCCR) has made community change happen. At United Way, we believe ending poverty for local families starts at Square One – in school, helping every child succeed, so they can graduate from high school prepared for a successful adulthood. For children to learn, they also need a stable home life. And we can help with that too. Learn more about UWCCR’s literacy impact here.

Visit Site

For 100 years, United Way California Capital Region (UWCCR) has made community change happen. At United Way, we believe ending poverty for local families starts at Square One – in school, helping every child succeed, so they can graduate from high school prepared for a successful adulthood. For children to learn, they also need a stable home life. And we can help with that too. Learn more about UWCCR’s literacy impact here.

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Teach for America’s mission is to enlist, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of our nation’s most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.

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USI is a national nonprofit with extensive experience in the design and implementation of place-based human capital development strategies in communities that are undergoing comprehensive physical revitalization. We work with Public Housing Authorities, city government officials, institutions, foundations, developers, property managers, community members and other stakeholders to build comprehensive plans around neighborhood conditions and human service needs.

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We bring communities together to tackle the biggest challenges affecting the livability of our region. By creating common ground built on facts, Valley Vision inspires leaders to think big and collaborate on bold, long-term solutions that improve people’s lives.

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The Sacramento Promise Zone (SPZ) creates cross-sector partnerships between federal, state and local agencies to improve the quality of life and drive community revitalization in 22 square miles of the Sacramento’s most underprivileged and marginalized neighborhoods. SPZ supports local leaders by sharing resources, building capacity and facilitating partnerships. The Promise Zone goals: 1) Create Jobs; 2) Increase Economic Activity; 3) Improve Educational Opportunities; 4) Improve Health and Wellness; and 5) Facilitate Neighborhood Revitalization. Learn more about the Sacramento Promise Zone here.

Visit Site

The Sacramento Public Library offers modern technology trends in reading, services to get children ready for school, opportunities to create, and safe and welcoming spaces.

Visit Site

For 100 years, United Way California Capital Region (UWCCR) has made community change happen. At United Way, we believe ending poverty for local families starts at Square One – in school, helping every child succeed, so they can graduate from high school prepared for a successful adulthood. For children to learn, they also need a stable home life. And we can help with that too. Learn more about UWCCR’s literacy impact here.

Visit Site

For 100 years, United Way California Capital Region (UWCCR) has made community change happen. At United Way, we believe ending poverty for local families starts at Square One – in school, helping every child succeed, so they can graduate from high school prepared for a successful adulthood. For children to learn, they also need a stable home life. And we can help with that too. Learn more about UWCCR’s literacy impact here.

Visit Site

Teach for America’s mission is to enlist, develop, and mobilize as many as possible of our nation’s most promising future leaders to grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.

Visit Site

USI is a national nonprofit with extensive experience in the design and implementation of place-based human capital development strategies in communities that are undergoing comprehensive physical revitalization. We work with Public Housing Authorities, city government officials, institutions, foundations, developers, property managers, community members and other stakeholders to build comprehensive plans around neighborhood conditions and human service needs.

Visit Site

We bring communities together to tackle the biggest challenges affecting the livability of our region. By creating common ground built on facts, Valley Vision inspires leaders to think big and collaborate on bold, long-term solutions that improve people’s lives.

Visit Site

How to Support Literacy in Sacramento

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All-America City Award Background

Since 1949, the All-America City Award has been given to the top ten communities across the U.S. that are leveraging civic engagement, collaboration, inclusiveness, and innovation, to address local issues.  For the 3rd year since 2012, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading has partnered with the All-America City Award to recognize systemic literacy successes in communities throughout the United States. 

Child reading