In the past 4 years, third graders in Marietta City Schools saw an 11% increase in the number of students reading at or above grade level. It’s a success story worth celebrating, but there’s still work to be done so that every child benefits from this progress. And as a part of United Way of Greater Atlanta’s Literacy and Justice for All collaborative, literacy leaders like Sabrina Hood Lyles are stepping up to be a part of the success — and a part of the solution.
Cobb county resident Sabrina always wanted to be a teacher and make a difference in her community. In 2023, she was encouraged by a neighbor to join Cobb Collaborative’s Early Literacy Ambassadors.
Through Literacy and Justice for All, United Way partners with organizations like Cobb Collaborative to expand literacy support beyond the classroom. Through its Early Literacy Ambassadors program, Cobb Collaborative equips community members like Sabrina to work alongside schools and foster a love of reading in their neighborhoods.
Becoming a local literacy leader
Although she knew very little about early literacy before joining, the training Sabrina received gave her the knowledge and confidence to become a trusted advocate for children and families in her community.
Over the past three years, Sabrina has discovered that being an Early Literacy Ambassador is about much more than sharing books — it’s about creating meaningful connections. One of her favorite memories was using her experience as a literacy leader to launch her own reading group in her apartment complex. Seeing the kids’ excitement and willingness to help one another reinforced the importance of making reading enjoyable and accessible outside of the classroom.
Sabrina’s experience reflects the community-wide approach to literacy that Literacy and Justice for All partners are working to build across Cobb County.
“We often think of teaching children to read as a solo activity. You have this image of a child at a desk or in their room reading a book. But truly, at the end of the day, literacy is a community activity,” said Irene Barton, Executive Director of the Cobb Collaborative.
For Sabrina, being an Ambassador means helping children discover that reading can be fun, joyful, and part of everyday family life. She continues to volunteer, sometimes alongside her son Amari, now considered one of Cobb Collaborative’s unofficial “junior ambassadors,” because she loves watching children grow, hearing them talk about the books they enjoy, and seeing their excitement when they discover new stories.
Her “why” is also deeply personal, though. She wanted to participate in the Ambassador program because she wasn’t provided the same opportunities herself as a child, and she loves getting to give them to kids in her community who wouldn’t have them otherwise.
“Prepare yourself to get attached to the students and families you get to know. The feeling you get when you see them grow is incredible. If you have it in you to love children and encourage them, it would be a great fit for you,” Sabrina said.
Through the program, Sabrina and other Ambassadors also have access to professional development opportunities through Cox Campus, a learning platform whose literacy courses United Way of Greater Atlanta helped develop. She recently received training on “The Basics,” a program that helps promote language and social-emotional development in children from birth to age 5.
Literacy and Justice for All, one literacy ambassador at a time
Today, only one in four students in Greater Atlanta reads proficiently by fourth grade, the point when classroom instruction shifts from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.” When students fall behind at this critical milestone, they are more likely to struggle academically in later grades and face barriers to graduating on time.
United Way of Greater Atlanta launched Literacy and Justice for All alongside our partners at the Atlanta Speech School, the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation, and Marietta City Schools. Since 2021, the program has united educators, school systems, and nonprofits around the shared goal of improving reading proficiency so more of our students can learn, matriculate, and reach their full potential.
Through the efforts of these partners, including Cobb Collaborative and its Early Literacy Ambassadors, children in Cobb County receive literacy support not only in the classroom but throughout their communities. The results are encouraging: the 11% increase in reading proficiency represents hundreds of students who are now entering later grades with the reading skills they need to succeed.
“We have seen the needle move in this area of literacy over the last five years, and it has been so exciting to be a part of it,” said Irene.
We know that a child who was not reading proficiently by the end of third grade is four times more likely to not graduate from high school, ultimately impacting so many longer-term outcomes. But we’ve been able to make a difference across all demographics, which is so important, and we know that we are modeling this for other communities as well. Certainly, the partnership with United Way of Greater Atlanta has made this possible.”
Sabrina’s journey demonstrates the lasting impact of investing in community members as literacy leaders. Literacy and Justice for All benefits not only local students, but also the Ambassadors themselves. Neighbors like Sabrina are equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and support to inspire children, empower families, and strengthen a community-wide culture of literacy, one relationship at a time.
Interested in becoming an Early Literacy Ambassador? Anyone with an interest in promoting reading, supporting students’ educational development, and fostering community engagement can have an impact just like Sabrina. Learn more and apply through Cobb Collaborative!
Finally, if you would like to help bring literacy — and community — to more neighborhoods across Greater Atlanta, please consider supporting United Way of Greater Atlanta’s efforts by donating today.
Thank you to Alison Nyarko, Director of Early Childhood Programs at Cobb Collaborative, for contributing to this story.