Area foundation hopes to help children improve reading success

2016 Coulee Collaboration Award announced

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — The Robert and Eleanor Franke Charitable Foundation announced it’s 2016 Coulee Collaboration Award at the La Crosse Public Library on Thursday.

The announcement starts a year-long process, hoping to encourage area organizations to come together to develop a new program, or build-on an existing program that attempts to improve reading proficiency scores for under-served children in La Crosse County.

The winner will receive a $100,000 grant to be used for their proposal.

“It’s of critical importance that we improve our scores because in order to establish a serviceable citizenry, we’ve got to have people who can read and write and use the language successfully,” said Mel Hoffman, Executive Director of the foundation.

The foundation is naming the project “Early Childhood Literacy Initiative”.

The deadline for applications is on December 31, 2016.  The award will be handed out on March 23, 2017.

For more information, you can head to the website http://frankefound.org