KDK-Harman Foundation

AUSTIN, Texas, July 24, 2006 — Every student attending Sims and Pecan Springs elementary schools this school year will be eligible to receive books of their own choosing through the generosity of the KDK-Harman Foundation, nearly 30,000 books in all. The KDK-Harman Foundation is bringing Book Trust, a literacy program, to Texas for the 2006-2007 school year. Book Trust is a Colorado based nonprofit that operates this unique literacy program and uses Scholastic school catalogs as the vehicle for the monthly book purchases. This is the first time that Book Trust received funding for Texas schools.

The nearly 1,000 students at Sims and Pecan Springs will each be allocated $7 per month from the KDK-Harman Foundation to select and purchase age appropriate books from the monthly Scholastic catalogs. This literacy program enables children from low-income families to build their home libraries, with the goal that they will learn to enjoy reading, a key indicator of academic success. With the Scholastic points that accrue from their monthly book orders, all of the classroom teachers will also be eligible to purchase Scholastic books for their classroom libraries at no additional cost.

Book Trust's Texas inauguration was made possible with a $55,000 grant from Austin's KDK-Harman Foundation, whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty through education. President Janet E. Harman founded the family foundation in December of 2004 with the ultimate goal of transforming the lives of Central Texans from poverty to financial independence. Book Trust hopes that other foundations will follow the lead of KDK-Harman Foundation and adopt schools to improve literacy in other economically challenged areas of Texas.

Harman stated, "I believe that education is the key to success and the best method to break the cycle of poverty. Based on the research, the strongest indicators of poverty are low academic achievement and poor literacy skills. To enhance the academic success of area youth, we have been seeking proven literacy and educational programs to support. Book Trust is a great program for Austin’s economically disadvantaged children as school success is most often dictated by how often one reads and the number of books in the home. The KDK-Harman Foundation sought two Austin schools with significant need. We selected Sims Elementary and Pecan Springs Elementary as the poverty level is in excess of 93% at both schools. We are excited to bring Book Trust to Austin."

Adrienne Schatz, Book Trust's Executive Director added, "Through their opportunity for choice and ownership, the students become their own motivators for change. They model reading to siblings and parents at home, and the excitement of reading spreads throughout the family. The children actually discover for themselves why reading is important.” Program evaluations indicate that Book Trust participants significantly enjoy reading more than non-participants – at a two-to-one margin. Research consistently shows that children who read more, will read at a higher level, learn second languages more quickly, and score higher on standardized tests. “The children are so excited to receive their monthly book order that they cheer when the custodian delivers the red and white Scholastic boxes to the classrooms."

About KDK-Harman Foundation

KDK-Harman Foundation was founded by Janet E. Harman in December of 2004. The Foundation provides financial assistance to charitable organizations that serve economically disadvantaged Central Texas families through educational programs. The ultimate goal of such funding is to transform their lives from poverty to financial independence to enable a better life for them and future generations. In short, the mission of the KDK-Harman Foundation is to break the cycle of poverty through education. The Foundation supports programs within Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Caldwell, Burnet, and Llano counties.