Harry Hughes

"My name is Harry Hughes and I am the principal of Harriet Tubman Elementary School located in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Northwest Washington D.C.  It is with my greatest enthusiasm that I offer this statement of support for Adam Barr and the Grassroots Education Project.  I have had the pleasure of knowing Adam for over four years now as a result of his work with the Reading All-Stars (RAS) program, an idea he initiated in an effort to improve literacy rates and writing skills."

Meghan

"After moving to the District in the fall of 2009, I started looking for opportunities to get involved in my community and give back. I volunteered with a few different organizations and while all were well-intentioned, none seemed to be the right fit for me."

Lisa

"In the fall of 2009, I attended Columbia Heights Day, a neighborhood festival celebrating all the wonderful things my neighborhood has to offer. The event took place on the recreational field of Harriet Tubman Elementary and some volunteers of the Grassroots Education Project were volunteering that day to sign up reading volunteers for their new program. Because education is an issue that is so important to me and I love reading, I knew I would enjoy it and quickly signed up."

Mike

"When I first met Adrian, he was a shy second grader trying to blend in with the rest of his classmates. Reading All-Stars was just beginning and this was new for everyone, both students and volunteers."

Amilcar

"On Capitol Hill and the many policy organizations in DC, folks are experts on seminal education policies like No Child Left Behind and the Higher Education Act. However, what is often missing is the real world connection to the issues that impact students on a daily basis."

Brianna

"I started with the Grassroots Education Project 4 years ago, and the beginning of its Reading All-Stars (RAS) program. For the past 3 years, I have tutored the same student, who was entering kindergarten when we started reading together."