of two other key initiatives — STAR Science Technology and 

 Reading 8 and the RIF Youth Corps. 



As RUNNING START entered its fifth year, Chrysler sup- 

 ported the expansion of RIF's reading motivation program for be- 

 ginning readers. By year's end, RUNNING START was 

 reaching first graders in all 50 states. In addition, this popular 

 program had found a new backer in Johnson's Wax. The program 

 was also bolstered by the results of three recent studies produced 

 by the National Reading Research Center of the University of 

 Maryland, which highlighted the program's success. 



Throughout its history, RIF has been working to engage 

 parents in their children's literacy. But in the last decade, 

 those efforts have been stepped up to include the piloting of a 

 variety of family literacy initiatives. Five years ago, building 

 on the knowledge acquired through a grant from the John D. 

 and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation, RIF piloted a pro- 

 gram called Family of Readers, in which parents (primarily 

 those who are in adult learning programs) play a central role 

 in running a RIF program for their children. Launched 

 through a grant from Kraft General Foods, Family of Readers 

 has been greatly expanded through grants from the John S. 

 and James L. Knight Foundation, Waldenbooks, and the 

 Amentech Foundation. In addition, RIF has developed a Fam- 

 ily of Readers program targeted to preschool children in low- 

 income communities. Today, that program is reaching 

 children at Head Start and early childhood centers in Stam- 

 ford, Conn., Covington, Ky., and Newark, N.J., through 

 grants from G.E. Capital, the Fidelity Foundation, and the 

 Prudential Foundation, respectively. Another family program 

 is Shared Beginnings, which is designed to help teen parents 

 break the cycle of intergenerational illiteracy by guiding 

 them in nurturing their children's emergent literacy skills. 

 The Hearst Foundations funded the national rollout of this 

 program, which is reaching parents and their children at alter- 

 native high schools, clinics, community and state agencies, 

 home-visiting programs, and statewide programs, such as 

 Pennsylvania's Project Success. 



Until RIF launched Proiect Open Book in 1990, children 

 in homeless shelters and hundreds of other transitional set- 

 tings hadn't much incentive to read. By 1994, the program 

 was reaching nearly 300,000 children in 43 states, bringing 

 them fun reading activities and getting them excited about 

 books. One example is an Open Book program for the chil- 

 dren of prison inmates, which offers youngsters a chance to 

 share books with their fathers, many for the first time. 



Last year, Open Book marked a milestone when it distrib- 

 uted its one millionth book. On behalf of homeless children, a 

 child presented the symbolic book to Kimberly Aiken who, 

 during her reign as Miss America 1994, took on the job of 

 honorary chairperson of Pro]ect Open Book and launched new 

 reading corners at shelters around the country. Open Book is 

 supported entirely by the private sector. Contributors include 

 publishers, corporations, foundations and individuals 



The year also witnessed the refinement and expansion of 

 one of RIF s most ambitious programs — STAR Science Tech- 



nology and Reading, which was launched through grants 

 from G.E. and Chrysler. STAR engages children in discovery 

 through hands-on science and uses literature to spark their in- 

 terest and deepen their curiosity. Last spring, following the 

 completion of field tests in three states, a team of scientist and 

 educators, meeting with RIF staff, pointed to the advantages 

 of pairing science experiments with books and discussed ways 

 to refine the program for wider dissemination. 



In 1994 RIF took a giant step in the development of its RIF 

 Youth Corps. A year after it was launched in Maryland, stu- 

 dents were earning credits and promoting literacy throughout 

 the state. The program is a collaboration between RIF, the 

 Maryland Department of Education, the Maryland Student 

 Service Alliance and the Maryland Student Literacy Corps. 



A RIF partnership with the New York Times Company 

 Foundation presents an example of how RIF is working with 

 the private sector to promote children's literacy. In its 1994 

 President's Report, the Foundation cited its partnership with 

 RIF as "an example of one of our most successful programs in 

 our affiliate areas." By the end of 1994, the "Literacy for Chil- 

 dren Project" will be underway in 28 communities where 

 New York Times regional newspapers operate. 



In 1994, RIF signed a collaborative agreement with the Na- 

 tional Head Start Association, that will pave the way for co- 

 operation along several fronts, such as enlisting parent 

 support in creating an environment for literacy in the home. 

 In the last five years, RIF pro|ects targeted to preschool chil- 

 dren grew at a rapid rate, thanks to the support of large num- 

 bers of service organizations, such as Ki warns International, 

 the General Federation of Women's Clubs, and Altrusa 

 International. 



Last year, Education Secretary Richard W. Riley, comment- 

 ing on the contributions of RIF's 165,000 volunteers, pointed 

 them out as examples of what citizens can accomplish on the 

 literacy front. RIF volunteers were also the focus of a cere- 

 mony on Capitol Hill, honoring 12 "Leaders for Literacy" dur- 

 ing Reading Is Fun Week. Among the honorees were an 

 octogenarian who has started more than 100 RIF programs in 

 El Paso, Tex.; a blind newspaper vendor who supports the RIF 

 program on Chicago's South Side; the president of the Arkan- 

 sas Board of Education who helped launch a statewide RIF 

 program for fourth graders; a Native American teenager in 

 Mesa, Ariz, who is reading to children of the Mojave Apache 

 People; and a 13-year-old girl who brings RIF reading activi- 

 ties to younger children. 



Woodrow Wilson International Center for 

 Scholars 



Charles Blitzer. Director 



The Woodrow Wilson Center is dedicated to reflecting Wood- 

 row Wilson's ideals and concerns and honoring. him both as a 



IOI 



