ÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ«'s Reading with Barbers is proud to be supported by the Fort Worth Barber Alliance

Program Goals

    • Expose children visiting RWB barbershops – with or without their parents –with a constant reminder about the importance of literacy.
    • Help parents understand the importance of early childhood literacy.
    • Increase the amount of time parents of students visiting RWB barbershops read daily with their children.
    • Communicate to parents the importance of bookshelves in their homes stocked with age-appropriate reading material for their children.
    • Expand the roster of RWB barbershops by expanding the number of participants.
    • Create a sustainable source of funding to ensure barbershops are equipped with a large number of culturally and racially interesting books children will want to read.
    • Empower illiterate adults visiting barbershops with information about free adult literacy education opportunities available through the ÁùºÏ²Ê×ÊÁÏ´óÈ« Adult Education Department, which will enable them to support their children’s reading efforts.

Essential Elements for Success

    • Dedicated barbers/salon shop owners willing to focus on proselytizing about the importance of literacy to students and families by maintaining and using bookshelves stocked with books in their shops.
    • Barbers willing to serve as adult role models and mentors for young children and their parents/guardians in need of literacy inspiration, motivation and assistance.
    • An ongoing and generous supply of books for barbers representing culturally and ethnically diverse themes and characters with whom their clients can identify.
    • Parents/guardians willing to extend the literacy theme of RWB barbershops and apply it in their own homes in the form of bookshelves, books, reading with their children and other outward forms of reading support.
    • Adults who are willing to expand their own abilities and stretch beyond their comfort zones to become more supportive of literacy during out-of-school time.