The ONYX Foundation donated $1,000 to Orange Center Elementary School to help students get excited about reading. The Renaissance Accelerated Reader. program aims to motivate kids to read by offering incentives when they hit their weekly reading goals. Once students get enough points, they are eligible for free books and other rewards that motivate them to the next goal. The ONYX Foundation’s gift will help the school purchase the incentives. “All students participate in this program. No student is left out,” said Assistant Principal Forrester Watts. “No matter the reading level, every student is involved.” Orange Center has students from VPK to fifth grade reading on various levels. Accelerated Reader has a proven track record that shows personalized goals help students stay focused on the factors that matter most for reading growth— and helps educators monitor their progress and provide feedback to keep learners on track. The ONYX Foundation, established in 2017 by ONYX Magazine CEO Rich Black, is dedicated to literacy, history and the arts. It has participated in the Orange County Library’s Read-In programs and has donated to numerous educational programs in Orlando. For more information about the ONYX Foundation, call 855-986-6699.
Photo: ONYX Advisory Committee Chair Dee Parker, Assistant Principal Forrester Watts, Principal La Donna Johnson, and ONYX Foundation CEO Rich Black.
