Happy New Readiness To Learn Year!
While the world waits for January, Readiness To Learn pops the confetti in July! Our fiscal and service year just wrapped, giving us a second chance to celebrate a "New Year". Grab a popsicle, beat the heat, and join us for a quick look at the milestones we achieved together from July '25 to June '26. We can’t wait for the year ahead!
At Readiness To Learn, we believe when families thrive, students thrive. Currently, 11% of students in the South Whidbey School District experience homelessness or housing instability—nearly triple the state average of 3.8%. Our Family Resource Center (FRC) serves as a vital hub for these youth and any local family facing barriers to success at school because
Everything we do is rooted in dignity and respect. We believe seeking help should be empowering, not demoralizing. Our seasonal programs—Back-to-School, Holiday House, Better Birthday Club, and Ready for Rain—are designed with this in mind. Through the Family Resource Center, we provide hands-on navigation to help families manage complex social services. Additionally, our youth programs, such as Tutor Time and Academic Coaching, provide direct educational support to students.
Cheers for a great year! Below, take a look at what your incredible support made possible.
Cheers to the year ahead! 2026/27, here we come!
2025/26: A Year of Big Wins
Through programs like SummerFun, Academic Coaching, Tutor Time, and our Family Resource Center, we reached 512 youth across 302 households this year. This wasn't just a statistical milestone—it was a collective effort to ensure every student has the tools they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. A few highlights:
Academic Coach
The Academic Coach position and program is partnership between RTL and the South Whidbey School District to support unstably housed students at school. Our Academic Coach, embedded in the South Whidbey Middle and High School campus, provided dedicated support to 46 unstably housed students grade 6-12 this year.
Success in action: 94% of our unstably housed seniors successfully graduated from SWHS! The 2025 statewide average was 61%.
Data from a sample of 20 unstably housed students highlights the incredible impact of the Academic Coach’s work:
Improving Attendance: Progress increased from 40% to 80% by year's end.
Completing Class Assignments: Students meeting expectations grew from 5% to 55%, with an additional 40% showing steady progress.
Class Engagement & Participation: Shifted from 95% showing minimal progress to 75% fully meeting or exceeding goals by June.
The individualized support and advocacy of the Academic Coach has yielded a 99% graduation rate for these South Whidbey students for the last 5 years.
Family Resource Center
Serving as a foundational pillar of our work, the Family Resource Center remains a constant and essential lifeline for South Whidbey households navigating periods of instability or doubt.
Our Family Resource Center was a bustling hub this year, supporting 203 families and 384 children through core programs like Back-to-School, Holiday House, and the Better Birthday Club.
We provided 1,679 instances of personalized care this year, partnering closely with 92 families to offer guidance, resources, and essential support.
We distributed vital supplies to help students feel prepared, including 237 Back-to-School essentials and 181 coats, pairs of rainboots, clothing or gift certificates. We connected 155 households with broader community referrals.
Feedback from families continues to emphasize that RTL is more than just a resource provider—we are a trusted ally in navigating life’s challenges. Whether through supporting foster and unstably housed youth during the holidays or helping single parents balance financial pressures, our community reports feeling emotionally supported and better prepared to navigate hurdles.
New Year in July for Readiness To Learn!
We’re Better Together!
Our work relies on the strong relationships we have with our local partners-community members, families and school. We are grateful for these collaborations, the creativity that emerges and the how that helps us meet our mission and provide meaningful support to South Whidbey students. Here are a few organizational and partnership highlights from the year!
Through a collaboration with the South Whidbey School District, Pickles Deli helped us wipe out $2,000 in student lunch debt—thank you!
We are grateful to the South Whidbey Soroptimists, who now deliver monthly snacks students who work with the Academic Coach and supply the FRC with laundry essentials for our families.
The Whidbey Community Foundation remained an essential partner, offering networking and grants; they also facilitate legacy giving to ensure our mission thrives for years to come.
Thanks to the South Whidbey Interact Club, our Better Birthday Club is stocked with festive Birthday Boxes for local kids!
Kudos to Whidbey Island Nourishes (WIN) for providing year-round snacks for TutorTime!
We celebrated Pamoja Place as they transitioned from our fiscal sponsorship to becoming an independent 501c3!
We welcomed Ali McManus, our new Co-Director! Read more in our transition blog and visit us for a Meet & Greet on August 26th!
Thank you Whidbey Community Foundation for all of your support!
Happy New Year! We know that when families thrive, students do too, and that’s the heart of everything we do. Here’s to the year ahead!
