The Literacy Lab

The Literacy Lab is a U.S.-based non-profit organization founded in 2009. It is dedicated to providing evidence-based literacy instruction to students in communities experiencing racial and economic inequities. The organization serves children from age three through grade three, primarily in Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, Virginia. Its mission emphasizes literacy as a human right and aims to create a more equitable society by equipping students with the literacy skills needed for academic, professional, and personal success.

Programs and Activities

The Literacy Lab employs full-time reading tutors who are trained in the Reading Corps model. These tutors provide individualized literacy interventions, focusing on phonics, fluency, and comprehension. In pre-kindergarten settings, each tutor is embedded full-time in a single classroom, offering whole-class instruction, small-group intervention, and one-on-one support. For kindergarten to third grade, tutors are assigned to a school and work with a caseload of students across these grades, delivering daily one-on-one interventions.

The organization also offers the Leading Men Fellowship, a program designed to increase representation of men of color in education. Fellows participate in a year-long residency, providing literacy support to pre-kindergarten students while receiving extensive coaching and professional development.

Impact and Funding

Evaluations have shown a positive impact on both individual students and school-wide literacy levels, with 88% of partner schools reporting improvements. The Literacy Lab is supported by contributions from individuals, foundations, public charities, corporations, and government agencies. It generates additional revenue through program services.

Financial Overview

As a designated 501(c)3 organization, The Literacy Lab's operations are primarily funded by donations and contributions. Recent financial data indicate that contributions account for the majority of its revenue, with program services providing additional income. The organization invests significantly in salaries and wages for its staff. Donations to The Literacy Lab are tax-deductible.

National Recognition

The Literacy Lab has been selected as a national replication partner for the Reading Corps model, highlighting its commitment to evidence-based early literacy interventions. It aims to close the literacy gap and promote educational equity, emphasizing the critical role of literacy in future opportunities and societal advancement.

[1] https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/features/nonprofit-spotlight/the-literacy-lab [2] https://www.volunteeralexandria.org/organization/001U000000n0xleIAA [3] https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/271777117 [4] https://www.idealist.org/en/nonprofit/0f44b9f23d814b349e323254a53656bb-the-literacy-lab-washington [5] https://theliteracylab.org