Chicago, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/07/2014 -- Illiteracy cost so much – in dollars ($20 billion per year per United Way) and in lost potential. Reading can be fun, is achievable, opens doors, provides a foundation for other learning, should start in early childhood, can thwart poverty, and can be an engaging experience that children look forward to. With team R.E.A.D. (Revolutionize Education and Drama), students become better readers through their engagement with the arts. Drama engages the child, and Trina Bledsoe has found an effective way to intersect drama with literacy for optimum results.
Bledsoe uses arts as a foundation for literacy. She is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago as a theatre production and education major. This set the tone for her later work as an intern who busied herself sharing her skills with children in the inner city.
She has programs in place to establish strong building blocks for reading and writing. Her background has equipped her to deal with various learning styles and levels; and to deliver effective research-based methods for teaching literacy. Her passion is to reach hundreds more students, teachers and parents and to help sustain literacy.
Bledsoe is not blind to the issues of illiteracy, and she knows the statistics well. However, rather than deter her, they make her more determined to turn the tide. As she details it, “Hearing and crafting stories through music, dance, and drama is an exciting way to increase vocabulary, introduce concepts, and gain an appreciation for books and the joy that comes from reading.”
The success of this campaign will help deliver the gift of literacy to the masses through her innovative program.
Crowdfunding
In support of its Crowdfunding campaign, Trina Bledsoe is committed to:
- Implementing the program
- Using theatre arts to further foster literacy
- Strengthening the project in phases
- Providing all promised perks to reward supporters of the campaign
Crowdsourcing
The Kickstarter campaign’s initial goal of $25,000 is currently active and runs through August 31, 2014 at 11:59 Pacific Time. Full details about the Kickstarter campaign including sponsorship and involvement levels can be found at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1224100695/teaching-literacy-through-the-arts.
Media Contact:
Trina Bledsoe
Executive Director
R.E.A.D. Teaching Literacy Through The Arts
317-294-7005
tdingle@artsstarts.org
http://www.artsstarts.org/