by Anita Brown, Program Officer

Olympic Gold Medalist, author, and philanthropist, Kristi Yamaguchi, founded the Always Dream Foundation to “inspire underserved children to reach for their dreams through innovative reading programs and by advancing the cause of early childhood literacy.”

James Higa and the Always Dream Foundation team met to discuss new ideas for early childhood reading.

The Always Dream Foundation runs a literacy program that integrates e-reader tablets and digital books as it develops literacy skills for Kindergarten to first grade students in the classroom. Currently, this program, called Always Reading, is in Title One classrooms in Arizona, Hawaii, and the Bay Area—including at schools in Concord, Fremont, Oakland, Redwood City, San Jose, and San Francisco.