LINCOLN- As part of an ongoing effort to improve Nebraska’s reading proficiency, Gov. Jim Pillen awarded 11 of the state’s mentorship organizations a combined $4.8 million in grant funding through a new program in this year’s budget. Pillen announced the first recipients of the READ Nebraska program at a press conference. The program was approved by the Legislature this year through LB814, one of three bills solidifying the state’s biennial budget.

Pillen initially called for a $5 million reading and mentorship grant back in February at a proclamation ceremony naming the month as “Nebraska Mentorship Month.” He said money supporting mentorship serves as an investment toward the state’s education and workforce goals. “Every kid doesn’t need a mentor, but every kid in Nebraska deserves a mentor,” Pillen said in February.

The $4.8 million will be divided among the 11 programs based on the number of participants each program serves, Pillen said. Among the recipients are three Big Brothers Big Sisters programs based in Omaha, Lincoln and central Nebraska, along with Girls Inc. of Omaha, Bannisters Leadership Academy, TeamMates Mentoring, Partnerships 4 Kids, The Friends Program in Kearney, Community Connections in Lincoln County, MENTOR Nebraska and MentoringWorks in Hastings.

For the full article click HERE