The Porter Project; Getting books into the hands of every first and second grader in the Black Hills

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - According to the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance, only about one-third of students in each grade are reading at a “proficient” level in the Black Hills area.

“We were pretty concerned about the literacy levels they were at, and we knew that if parents weren’t sure how to get their kids involved in reading or how to best get their kids excited about reading, then that wasn’t ever going to change,” said Hanna Glissendorf, the director of Black Hills Reads.

To combat this issue, author Sean Covel, in collaboration with Monument Health and Black Hills Reads, started an initiative to get books into the hands of children.

“I learned that, you know, you learn to read in kindergarten, first, and second, but you have to be able to read in order to learn from there on out, so it’s a really big deal, and the United Way showed me that a book that reads quickly, a book that’s fun, and a book that’s free, thanks to our partnerships, sparks reading in the home and not just reading but play. It’s a book that’s a game, and it’s a game that’s a book,” Covel said.

That revelation led to Porter the Hoarder. And since 2019, Covel has been donating Porter books to 1st graders in the Black Hills. This year, thanks to a partnership with Monument Health, 2nd graders are also getting a book.

“It’s really exciting for us to partner with our community here in Rapid City, and along with coming into the schools and gifting this book to every second grader within our community, we’re also going to be able to provide this book to our kids that come and see us at the hospital, so it’s just really nice to make the hospital not so scary and to give us some friendly faces,” said Beth Laughlin, Labor and Delivery Nurse Manager at Monument Health.

According to the United Way of the Black Hills, the Porter Project has been the most successful reading project in South Dakota history and has increased literacy and excitement for reading among students.

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