AtoZ Learning Club

What is the core mission of your organization? AtoZ Learning Club’s core mission is to strengthen children and families through culturally affirming books, storytelling, and creative literacy programs that build confidence, connection, and lifelong readers.

How do you measure impact and success in your programs? We measure impact through program participation, book distribution numbers, literacy skill growth, and participant feedback. We collect surveys, track engagement, monitor reading progress when applicable, and assess confidence and family involvement to evaluate both academic and social-emotional outcomes.

What are your biggest fundraising or outreach challenges? Our biggest fundraising and outreach challenges are limited staffing capacity and sustainable funding. As a volunteer-led grassroots organization, we rely heavily on grants, community partnerships, and word-of-mouth, which can make consistent donor growth and long-term funding stability challenging.

Can you share a story that shows your mission in action? One powerful example of our mission in action is Heroes of Nashville, a children’s book created by students in our summer literacy program. Instead of simply reading stories, the children became authors, developing characters, writing plots, and illustrating heroes who reflected their community and imagination. Through this project, students strengthened their writing skills, built confidence, and saw themselves as storytellers. The book became more than a literacy activity; it was a moment of ownership, creativity, and representation.

What keeps you motivated in this work? What keeps me motivated is my personal connection to literacy. As a mother of twin boys and someone who navigated educational challenges myself, I understand how powerful representation, advocacy, and access to books can be. Literacy changed how I saw myself and my future. This work is not just organizational, it’s personal. Every program we create is rooted in the belief that children and families deserve to feel seen, supported, and empowered through storytelling.