KENNEBUNKPORT — Barbara Bush celebrated her 90th birthday on Monday with a fundraiser for one of her most cherished causes: family literacy.
Bush’s foundation, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, launched a prize for developing a smartphone application that would assist adults who can’t read. The fundraiser on Sunday included authors Sandra Brown, James McBride and Brad Meltzer, who came to support the foundation’s efforts. Barbara Bush’s birthday celebration on Monday included appearances from Reba McEntire and Amy Grant.
Liza McFadden, president and CEO of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, said that the foundation was looking for a “big and bold” project, and that a largely invisible part of literacy work is outreach to adults who have difficulty reading.
“Thirty-six million (in America) can’t read beyond a third-grade level. Less than 1 percent of those in need are getting help. People don’t talk about it; there’s a lot of stigma. ”¦ We believe literacy is a civil right,” McFadden said.
The “X-prize,” as it’s called, will help match educators with experience developing literacy programs with programmers who can do the coding. A team from the foundation will review the educational software and award the prize, and a second round of competition will focus on cities competing to deploy the free software to their residents. The foundation’s increased push for programming will also expand an existing program in Maine helping teens assist children who have difficulty reading.
“It will be a four-year long term policy,” McFadden said.
Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush also had a hand in the new initiative, as he served on the board up until about last year and it was he who suggested the idea of a prize for developing a smartphone application.
Mercedes Schlapp of Cove Strategies said that there were 24 family literacy and “teen trendsetters,” who visit younger students and teach them reading through the sciences in 2015 in Maine, which would expand to 30 with the new initiative.
Bush launched the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy 25 years ago, and a recent reprint of her memoir will help support this cause.
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