Kibeam Literacy Foundation

Sadly, only 1/3 of US children are proficient in reading by 4th grade and most will never recover as 18% of adults are functionally illiterate. Functional literacy is causally linked to numerous well-researched positive social, economic and personal measures of a healthy, safe, successful, happy life.

Thankfully, new technologies and new learning systems combined with printed books and scientifically validated pedagogies and techniques offer significant opportunities to turn the tide on our reading statistics.

Working directly and with partners, we create and administer literacy development programs focused on helping children attain proficiency in reading and literacy. We focus primarily on young children who are under-performing academically, as well as their parent(s) and/or caregivers.

Our programs will utilize new edtech products that interact with printed books and materials selected for and/or customized to meet academic needs, cultural attributes and family conditions of the young children. We expect many of these programs will involve community engagement, academic and/or scientific research, and quantitative and qualitative analysis and reporting to evaluate the efficacy of and identify areas for improvement of the programs and related product(s).

We anticipate setting up formal research relationships with multiple universities. We also anticipate securing grants from and/or developing formal working relationships with foundations, DAFs, private individuals, corporations, nonprofits, governments, NGOs and others whose missions are to advance literacy.

We may also participate directly or indirectly in the distribution of books, improvement of literacy pedagogies, and development of social capital and other beneficial social and economic systems for the children and their families.