As we say goodbye to Pauly Hart, Executive Director of Lead to Read KC, there’s a mix of emotions – appreciation, achievement, and anticipation, just to name a few. For the past eight years, her unwavering dedication to improving children’s reading skills has been the guiding force of our organization.
Together, Pauly has led us on a journey to transform Kansas City’s literacy landscape, empowering children to discover the joy of reading and unlocking their full potential. It’s been a journey filled with challenges, but the rewards have been immeasurable.
Under her leadership, Lead to Read KC has grown immensely. From a few hundred Reading Mentors in 2015, Hart helped grow our volunteers to close to 1,500 this fall, each one a beacon of hope for the thousands of children we serve each week. She also instituted a results-driven, individualized tutoring model that helped lighten the workload of classroom teachers. Through our program, this growth has illuminated a path for future generations of strong readers, successful students, and future leaders in our city.
Hart made sure our commitment to literacy extended beyond the classroom. We’ve distributed tens of thousands of diverse, high-interest books to children, ensuring they have access to stories that spark their imaginations and feed their passions. She also recognized the link between literacy and mental health, building partnerships with authors and organizations to address the mental health and wellness crisis facing our youth.
Lead to Read KC has ignited a love of reading in countless young minds, and we look forward to seeing all that we can accomplish in the future, expanding on Hart’s many successes during her tenure. Thank you, Pauly!
