FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATLANTA, GA. – In celebration of Asian and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) Heritage month earlier this year, NBC’s Atlanta affiliate station, 11Alive (WXIA-TV), highlighted Preface & Founder and Executive Director, Jonathan “JT” Wu, as part of their Georgia AAPI leaders spotlight series.
Wu and NBC discussed the Preface model, expansion, and mission to achieve equality through early childhood education and literacy - particularly, how Preface focuses on laying the foundations early on for lifelong learning success all across both Georgia and America.
“Like a Preface to a book, early childhood literacy is so important to set a student up for a lifetime of learning,” said Wu, who noted to the local station that he is proudly “Georgia-grown and Georgia-raised.”
“We’ve got high school Ambassadors hopping online doing 20 to 30 minute reading sessions with their students…. We’re trying to supercharge the existing efforts of educators already on the ground and make their classroom time that much more effective,” continued Wu.
Wu further emphasized Preface’s Georgia-grown roots, having been founded in Gwinnett County, a large metropolitan area known for its diversity and multilingualism. With many students, especially those who may not speak English in the home, facing mounting challenges and learning barriers, due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Preface’s innovative peer-to-peer virtual reading session models have helped lift young students to reading proficiency.
At the same time, these models also empower the high school student “Ambassador” leaders who act as mentor-readers with a high-quality service opportunity and invaluable hands-on educational experience.
Wu also shared how his personal experiences helped shape the organization’s core mission, noting in particular how his experiences as a first-generation American in one of the most diverse counties in the nation helped inspire Preface’s embrace of the “rich tapestry” of unique cultures that can now be found in communities all across America.
With schools across the nation now embracing the literacy models and virtual innovations pioneered by Preface, this NBC affiliate’s feature is a strong testament to Preface’s amazing work in local and national communities.
A link to the full spotlight on 11Alive (WXIA-TV) is available here.
About Preface:
Founded in 2019, Preface is a public-private philanthropic initiative dedicated to fostering Equality Through Education and early childhood literacy - often with a multilingual twist! Partnering with educators and community leaders, Preface empowers local high schoolers to give back to their communities and bridge opportunity gaps by fostering literacy among young students of all backgrounds. A federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization, Preface is proudly headquartered in Gwinnett County, Georgia and serves communities across America. Learn more at www.PrefaceProject.org.
For further inquiries, contact:
Devon Naftzger
Chief Marketing Officer
Preface Public Relations
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