As the chief of staff and associate vice chancellor of human resources, Kathy Walter-Mack oversees staff at five Metropolitan Community College campuses. In addition to her professional work, Kathy Walter-Mack has a long history of volunteerism in her community. She has donated much of her time to her local Reach Out and Read chapter.
Research has shown time and time again that the single most important step parents can take to give their children a head start is reading aloud in the early years. Reading aloud helps children develop their word-sound awareness and build their vocabularies.
Unfortunately, research also has shown that many children from low-income backgrounds fall behind early because they are not given this valuable learning opportunity. Reach Out and Read works with primary care providers across the world, giving books to physicians so they can place them in the hands of children.
This leads to 4.5 million children each year receiving a total of 6.5 million books. Many children touched by the program get their very first book from Reach Out and Read, which can transform their educational future forever.
