Page Forward Lexington
Every kid deserves a book they can finish — and a grown-up cheering them on.
We're a small afterschool literacy program working alongside 12 Lexington elementary schools to keep kids reading on grade level. Last year we reached 400 kids. This year we're going deeper.
Our story
It started with a third-grader named Malik and a stack of unread books.
In 2019, our founder Renee Coleman was substitute-teaching at Russell Cave Elementary when a third-grader named Malik told her he had never finished a chapter book. Not because he could not read — but because nobody had ever sat with him long enough to find one he loved.
Renee stayed after school the next day. Then twice a week. Then every weekday. By spring, fourteen kids were showing up to the library at 3:15. Page Forward was born out of that hour.
“Kids don't fall behind on reading because they can't do it. They fall behind because nobody had time to sit with them.”
Six years later we run reading sessions in 12 Fayette County elementary schools, three days a week, with a paid coordinator and 60 trained volunteers. Malik is now in tenth grade and reads above his grade level. He still texts Renee about the books he is reading.
2024–2025 school year
What 60 volunteers and a stack of books made happen
Independently measured against district benchmark assessments. The numbers are real. The kids are realer.
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400
kids reached
One-on-one or small-group reading time, three days a week, all school year.
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87%
gained reading-grade levels
Average gain of 1.4 grade levels over baseline by year-end district benchmarks.
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12
partner schools
Across Fayette County Public Schools — every Title I elementary in our service area.
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$0.91
of every dollar to programs
Independently audited. Books, coordinator pay, and transportation — that is the work.
2024–2025 outcomes report and audited financials available at pageforwardlex.org/impact.
What we actually do
Three things, done well
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In-school
Afterschool reading hour
Three days a week, our trained volunteers show up at school dismissal and read with kids in small groups for 45 minutes. We bring the books, the snacks, and the patience. The school provides the room.
Every kid gets a reading buddy who stays consistent through the year. Consistency is the work — kids learn to read fluently when the same caring adult shows up week after week.
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Take-home
A book a week, every week
Every kid in our program takes home a book they picked themselves, every Friday, for the whole school year. That is 36 books a year, into 400 homes — many of which had no kids' books before.
Books are theirs to keep. We send a parent guide in English and Spanish with conversation prompts so reading happens at the kitchen table, not just in our sessions.
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Summer
Summer reading camp
The summer slide is real — kids who don't read in summer can lose two to three months of reading progress. So we run free five-week half-day reading camps at three host sites in June and July.
Camp runs Monday through Thursday, includes breakfast and lunch, and ends each Friday with a field trip to the Lexington Public Library, the Living Arts & Science Center, or the Lyric Theatre.
From the families
What this program means at home
Shared with permission. Told in their own words.
Give today
Pick the gift that fits
100% tax-deductible. 91 cents of every dollar goes directly to books, coordinators, and kids.
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25
Buys 5 take-home books for a kid to keep all year.
Donate $25 -
Most chosen
100
Sponsors one kid for a full semester of reading sessions.
Donate $100 -
500
Funds a classroom library for an entire school year.
Donate $500 -
1,000
Sends a child to all five weeks of summer reading camp.
Donate $1,000
Page Forward Lexington is a registered 501(c)(3). Tax ID 84-3217609. A copy of our most recent financial report is available on request.
Get involved
Sit on the floor. Read with a kid. That's it.
We need 30 more volunteers this fall to keep up with school requests. If you can give 90 minutes a week from September through May, we will train you, place you with a school near you, and match you with kids who will know your name by week three.
No teaching experience required. Background check and a 2-hour orientation are required. We provide everything else.
- School-day afternoons (3:00–4:30 PM), September through May.
- Free 2-hour training plus background check (we cover the cost).
- Volunteer appreciation potluck every December and May.
Our team
The four humans who make this run
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Renee Coleman
she/her
Founder & Executive Director
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Marcus Bailey
he/him
Director of Programs
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Sofia Ramirez
she/her
Literacy Coordinator
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James Whitaker
he/him
Operations & Volunteer Manager
