News

December 4, 2019

Local Organizations Launch New Reading Initiative: POWER – Power of Words and Early Reading

A press conference to announce the launch of POWER—Power of Words and Early Reading will take place on Wednesday, December 13 at 1:30 pm at the West Texas Food Bank ( 411 S Pagewood Ave. Odessa, Texas 79761). Representatives from the committee that will speak on behalf of the project include:

  • Adrian Vega, Education Partnership of the Permian Basin
  • Lorraine Perryman, Education Partnership of the Permian Basin
  • Dr. Sara Amiri, Odessa Regional Medical Center
  • Christin Abbott Timmons, Medical Center Health System
  • Dr. Scott Muri, Ector County Independent School District

 

Research has shown that there is a major word gap in words spoken and the types of messages conveyed between children born into poverty and children born into working-class    or professional families. 2019 data from Ector County Independent School District indicates that 57% of kindergarteners who attended Pre-K, were not kindergarten-ready, and that 65% of the kindergarteners who did not attend Pre-K were not kindergarten-ready. POWER believes that kindergarten-readiness begins at birth, years before children start school. The purpose of this initiative is to encourage our community to read, speak, and interact with children, as frequently as possible, beginning at birth.  

Many community members and organizations have joined forces to make this project possible. Partners include: The Education Partnership of the Permian Basin, Odessa Regional Medical Center, Medical Center Health System, Children’s Miracle Network, Chevron, Education Foundation, First 5 Permian Basin, Frost Bank, ECISD, Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, XTO Energy, UT Permian Basin, and the West Texas Food Bank.