BOISE, Idaho — Read while you wash - or rather, let the kids read while you wash.
A new program kicked off in May that aims to help improve literacy rates among Idaho children.
The partners in this program are a little non-traditional: local laundromats.
The program is called Sudsy Story Time and was implemented by Boise-based Ventana Trainings, or V7. The Ventana 7 group is the most recent graduating class from Ventana Trainings, which is a local leadership training group.
After conducting research, Ventana said it found the child literacy rates in Idaho needed improving - so it reached out to local laundromats to help kick start Sudsy Story Time.
Washing Time Laundry in Boise was one that agreed to participate.
“My first initial thought was, ‘That’s kind of odd for a laundromat,’" Ashley Spencer, a manager at Washing Time Laundry, said. "But the more that I thought about it and as soon as we got the program in here, I thought that it was absolutely amazing and I thought it was a perfect fit. They told me they were having a hard time finding laundromats to agree to the program but I think it’s absolutely amazing and so I’m glad that they reached out to us and I’m glad we were able to do that for them.”
The program will provide between 50 and 100 books for kids to read, as well as work with local volunteers to provide at least one hour each week to read to kids.
Spencer said their laundromat will also have another added feature.
“We also get a lot of refugee families and so the next phase of the program is they will be bringing in books in the Swahili language,” she said.
According to Ventana, it will also add books in other languages, like Arabic and Spanish.
Ventana cited research that included a study of nearly 4,000 students. The study found that 1 in 4 third-grade students with "below-basic" reading skills did not go on to graduate high school.
It also showed that comprehension levels improved by as much as 11 percent among those students who read just six minutes more a day.
"There's so many children that don't have the opportunity to work on their reading skills and we wanted to provide that for them," Spencer said. “We’re just really excited to be a part of this program and give back to the community and help the children.”
Boise Express Laundry is also participating, along with Ray's Corner Market in Horseshoe Bend.
Washing Time Laundry said anyone that would like to donate books can drop them off at the laundromat and it will work with Ventana to make sure any of the participating locations that may need them, are able to use them.
Ventana said anyone who would like to sign up to volunteer to read can do so here.