Reading for Reconciliation - In honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Transforming children’s futures with 1:1 reading support at the time they need it the most.

In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30, HP Canada would like to recognize and celebrate Chapter One, a charity that co-creates original storybooks with Indigenous communities and provides one-on-one reading support for Indigenous children.

Chapter One is a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the literacy gap in high-need communities by providing children with one-on-one reading support at the time they need it the most. About 90% of the children served by its programs in Canada are Indigenous, on or near reserve.

HP has partnered with Chapter One to support its mission of creating a world where all children have the literacy skills needed to thrive.

With HP Canada’s support over the last two years, Chapter One has tripled in size in Canada, from supporting 560 students in 16 schools in the 2021-2022 school year to now serving 1,800 young children in seven provinces and territories, including many remote and isolated fly-in communities such as Fort Severn, Moose Cree First Nation, Lac Seul First Nation, and Pikangikum First Nation.

In the 2022-2023 school year, HP Canada sponsored three classrooms in Lac Seul First Nation, Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation and Whitefish River First Nation, helping 45 Grade 1-3 students improve their reading skills. In these classrooms, mastery of the phonics foundation quadrupled, and Senior Kindergarten reading level proficiency doubled.

Through its classroom sponsorship, HP has also provided crucial equipment to under-resourced classrooms and families in Indigenous communities, including online reading stations and dedicated tablets to ensure accessibility and continuity of learning.

Each year, in addition to committing financial support, HP invites its employees to serve as online reading volunteers, leveraging the 4 hours of paid volunteer time granted to each HP employee, reinforcing a culture of creating social impact. These dedicated HP reading buddies contribute 30 minutes each week during the school year to encourage emerging readers in high-need K-3 classrooms through the Chapter One platform. In 2022-23, HP volunteers provided more than 70 hours of one-on-one reading support in 215 online reading sessions. HP Online Reading Volunteers work with the same student every week that school is open, helping young children increase their reading scores, boost their confidence, and ignite their joy of reading and learning.

HP also supports Chapter One’s development of original Indigenous e-storybooks that celebrate diversity and inclusion while exploring social justice themes. These e-books are co-created with the Indigenous communities that receive tutoring and are brought to life by Indigenous writers and illustrators. Thirty-three original storybooks have been produced in the first two years of this initiative, including the HP-sponsored storybook, “Cedar Weaving with Auntie,” available to tutors, teachers, and their students in the Chapter One reading platform for the start of the 2023-2024 school year. This e-book is also available online, for free, to everyone worldwide via the new Chapter One Global Free Library.

In partnering with Chapter One, HP is affirming its commitment to digital equity, transforming children’s lives through better learning outcomes and enhanced skill sets, which is one of its priorities as a global corporate citizen. HP is committed to helping close the reading gap for marginalized children, who are often left behind by traditional education systems and face limited opportunities for success.

As this program continues to scale, HP and Chapter One are committed to creating a brighter future for high-need children from coast to coast to coast.

Join us in celebrating this innovative partnership and its many achievements — we are proud of our growing impact and excited for what the future has in store for these children and their families.

In honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, HP encourages all Canadians to donate to Chapter One.

Your donation can help a child learn to read, celebrate their culture, and achieve their full potential. With your help, we will be one step closer to closing the reading gap for good.

Donate to Chapter One now to support childhood literacy

Chapter One

809-230 King St. E Toronto, On M5A 1K5

chapterone.org

Canadian Registered Charity: 73848 6117 RR 0001