Readers 2 Leaders is an early literacy nonprofit located in Dallas, TX. We have a family literacy center located in West Dallas, an underserved area in Dallas. R2L runs a variety of programs including: two after-school programs, summer camps and in-school small-group tutoring at 14 local elementary schools. We also run coaching and training programs for adults who support children in Out of School Time programs. More information about R2L may be found at our website: www.readers2leaders.org The opportunity we have centers on maximization of our new facility. We recently moved into a new facility with double the square footage of our old facility (from 6000 sq. ft. to 12,000 sq. ft.) We run one of our after-school programs in the facility but during the day the program spaces are largely unused. We would like to conduct a scan of potential community partners to make better use of the facility during the day. This may include GED/ESL classes for adults, shared meeting space, mental health support groups or networks, or handing out basic needs. The goal if the facility maximization would be to provide a more intentional space for our community - that is there to respond to the needs of the community (and specifically to the parents of our students or those while children accessing our programs - though that does not have to be the primary end user). We have also discussed how to integrate our early literacy mission into the partnership programs. Could our training team at R2L provide short sessions for parents? Could we give anyone who comes to our facility use of our library spaces? Or give away books to participants in partnership programs? There are many options that could make sense as we continue to identify how to best use our brand new family literacy center! Activities that would support our objectives: Market research/researching potential partnerships (i.e. Dallas College, nonprofit providers, public health providers, etc.) Focus groups (w/parents, community members, board members, R2L staff, nonprofit partners, community leaders, etc.) Budget to run partnership programs/identify resources needed Presentation to Board of Directors or Leadership Team at R2L, recommendations for action This project is an element on our strategic plan. The item states:

• Research and propose ways the facility use can be optimized. Determine staffing needs, partnerships, liability, cost, etc.
• The goal would be to share the research and recommendations, as well as a budget/overview of costs, with key R2L stakeholders