A Valentine’s Day to Remember: GirlSMART Girls Receive 500+ Books!

This Valentine’s Day, the love of reading is in the air! Thanks to the generosity of the incredible GirlSMART community, girls enrolled in the literacy program across the Bay Area are unwrapping a heartfelt gift: over 500 donated books!

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In a beautiful display of dedication, volunteers—including two of our past powerhouse CEOs, Linda Boessenecker (2008–2016) and Pat Loomes (1977–2007)—came together to wrap each book with care. Today, girls will receive these thoughtfully selected stories, ready to be shared with their families and friends, sparking a lifelong love of reading.

The GirlSMART Literacy Program*, which dates back to 1990s, was the brainchild of the late Barclay Simpson, a wildly successful entrepreneur, equity advocate, and longtime champion of Girls Inc. of Alameda County, along with Pat Loomes, our longest-serving CEO (1977–2007). Both believed deeply that empowering young girls with literacy skills would help create a better world for everyone—a vision that continues to inspire us today.

The GirlSMART program remains a key part of our larger literacy initiative, serving students in Title 1 elementary schools across Oakland. Over the 2023-24 school year, nearly 800 students participated in our literacy programs, with 100% making progress toward grade-level reading—a testament to their hard work, the dedication of our staff, and the support of families and caregivers.

The impact is undeniable:

By the end of the school year, 59% of K-5 students were reading at grade level—a 146% increase from just 24% at the start of the year.
In grades K-3, grade-level reading proficiency jumped from 24% to 63%—a 163% increase.
Among 4th and 5th graders, reading proficiency improved by 113%, rising from 23% to 49%.
English Learners in our program achieved a 117% improvement in grade-level reading, reaching 52%—six times higher than their OUSD peers in grades 3-5.
First-time enrollees saw a remarkable 186% improvement, with 60% reading at grade level by year’s end, up from 21% at the beginning.

With every page turned, girls are building confidence, expanding their knowledge, and taking a step toward a brighter future. This Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating more than just books—we’re celebrating empowerment, education, and the lasting impact of a program that has transformed young lives for over two decades.

Help more girls unlock the power of literacy and invest today!

*The literacy program pioneered by the late Barc Simpson and Pat Loomes in 1999 is called GirlSMART, and it focuses on girls, aged kindergarten through 3rd grade. We also have a broader Literacy Intervention Program, in addition to GirlSMART, that works with girls and boys from transitional kindergarten through 5th grade. Girls Inc. of Alameda County supplemented the donated books to ensure all students across our literacy programs had a book to unwrap.