September 9th, our community will come together for 24 hours of unprecedented philanthropy for the first-ever San Diego Gives. This online fundraiser will celebrate and support the work of local nonprofits committed to impacting the greater San Diego area. Traveling Stories is proud to participate to further our mission of empowering students through literacy and mentorship.

Summer learning loss is a critical issue for many students in low-income communities and one that has been exasperated by COVID-19. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Applied Data Finance (ADF) to expand our summer program and offer scholarships to 35 students at Valencia Park Elementary in Southeast San Diego. Each student will have weekly one-on-one reading sessions with a trained mentor and receive books and prizes. Based on past program outcomes, we expect that more than half of these students will show gains in either reading proficiency, fondness for reading, or personal confidence!

Created in response to COVID-19, the Virtual StoryTent matches children entering K-2nd grade with mentors for weekly, one-on-one video reading sessions. The program duration is six weeks with one 30-45 minute session each week. Children receive new books in the mail after enrolling. During sessions, children read and chat about books with their mentor. Children earn virtual Book Bucks for every book they read - even books they read during the week! With their Bucks, children can buy prizes through the online StoryTent store. Prizes are shipped to the child’s home at no cost.