In June 2003 the Medina Valley Even Start Family Literacy Program was notified that it had been awarded a $25,000.00 Family Literacy Grant from the First Lady's Family Literacy initiative for Texas, a program sponsored by the Barbara Bush Texas Fund for Family Literacy. Begun in Austin in 1996 by Mrs. Laura Bush, who continues as the Honorary Chair, the First Lady's Family Literacy Initiative has awarded nearly $2 million dollars in order to create or expand family literacy programs throughout Texas in which parents, as well as their children build their literacy skills by reading and learning together. To date more than 2000 families throughout the state have benefited from participation in these innovative programs in 59 Texas cities, and the Initiative is still going strong with over $250,000.00 awarded in 2003.

In July 2003 grant award winners were invited to the White House in order to meet with Mrs. Bush, our First Lady personally. Grant award winners from around the state were given a tour of the White House and then attended a reception hosted by Mrs. Bush. Even Start Director Richard Jackson and his wife Susan met with Mrs. Bush, had an official portrait taken with her, and then attended the luncheon which was very exciting. Mr. Jackson and his wife found Mrs. Bush to be warm, cordial and very interested in all of the different projects that were represented.

The Even Start Program will be using the grant monies to fund a full time Reading Coordinator who will be providing reading activities to our parents and children every day. At the end of the week our parents and children will be given a copy of the book that they have been working on for the week to take home in order to build their own home libraries of quality, high interest books that teach literacy skills. Since the beginning of the 2003-2004 school year the Even Start Program has given away 10 different titles to our parents and children.