Masons of California, Raising a Reader and WUSD Expand Programs to Improve Afghan Refugee Student Literacy

10.06.2024

With the generous support of the Masons of California, we’ve developed our first-ever collection of bilingual books in both English and Farsi to serve families in Washington Unified School District in
West Sacramento. This expansion reaffirms our commitment to ensuring every child feels seen and valued. Over the past 13 years, with the Masons’ continued support, we’ve reached more than 920 classrooms statewide, and Washington Unified is the latest addition to our growing impact.

Raising a Reader CEO, Michelle Torgerson, shares more in this interview with CapRadio. You can also watch this clip from ABC News and, click the image below to read the full article from the West Sacramento – News Ledger.

11.19.2025 Events

Celebrating Family Engagement Month: Small Reading Moments, Big Impact

November is Family Engagement Month, a perfect reminder that the most powerful learning doesn’t just happen in classrooms—it happens at home, in small, joyful moments families create together. At Raising a Reader, we’ve spent 25+ years helping families build reading routines that spark curiosity, strengthen relationships, and set children on a lifelong path to learning and academic success. When families read ...

11.06.2025 News

When We Work Together, Children Thrive

Last month, I had the joy of standing on the Central Elementary School campus in San Diego—the very place where Raising a Reader first launched our partnership with the Masons of California 15 years ago—and celebrating something remarkable: together, we’ve reached more than 1,000 classrooms across California through this partnership. From the start, the Masons of California have believed in ...