RISE Augusta Earns State Grant for Literacy
10/1/25, 4:00 PM
RISE Augusta expands at the Hub, helping build literacy skills
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - As the school year continues, a major resource for students and parents in Augusta is making an impact.
RISE Augusta has officially opened its new location at The Hub, and the tutoring program has been recognized as one of the top 10 best programs in Georgia.
One of the group’s greatest strengths is helping children build a foundation for reading.
In 2024, RISE donated more than 41,000 books to kids, but leaders say their real focus is ensuring students can read on grade level by third grade, a milestone many parents may not realize.
On the second floor of The Hub, tutors and volunteers work daily with students.
“It’s just so exciting and rewarding to see them flourish and to thrive,” said Laurie Cook, Executive Director of RISE Augusta.
Cook says only about 30 percent of Richmond County third graders are currently reading on grade level.
“They just need some extra help,” said Jenny Landrum, Educational Program Director. “We fill in that gap and try to help the kids on the bubble bring them up to where they need to be.”
She says early intervention is critical.
“If we don’t get them in K through second and they get into third grade, where books change, fonts change, comprehension changes, they’re lost,” Landrum said.
Cook says that they used to tutor kids in middle and high school, too. Their success rate in improving elementary kids’ literacy is 84 percent. But in middle school, it was 11.
“Eighty-five percent of the kids that are in the juvenile justice system don’t read or don’t read well. If for no other reason than to keep kids out of that path, we need to teach them how to read,” Cook said.
RISE also reports that 90 percent of its students show better behavior in school. The Georgia Literacy Council recently recognized the program’s success with a $25,000 grant.
“Most of the programs are embedded in a school or a part of the school system, wherever they’re located. We’re very different,” Cook said.
RISE is a privately funded nonprofit, offering not only tutoring but also wraparound services. That includes providing glasses to students who need them and hosting free book fairs.
“It’s the most special thing in the world to see the light bulb come on,” Landrum said. “When you know they realize they can read, you’ve opened up the whole world to them.”