CHICAGO, September 30, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Kemper Foundation, the philanthropic partner of Kemper Corporation, announced today it has awarded grants to advance bilingual literacy to schoolteachers in the greater Los Angeles, Dallas and Miami areas. This is the fifth round of grants awarded through the Foundation’s Read Conmigo program since the program launched in 2022, bringing the program’s award total to nearly $750,000.

Read Conmigo grants are focused on strengthening bilingual literacy skills and improving learning opportunities for elementary Latino and Hispanic students. The Kemper Foundation annually awards up to 100 grants of $3,000 each to public and charter schoolteachers of Spanish-English bilingual classrooms. The grants can be used for classroom resources, tools and materials, and professional development.

Recipients were selected by a panel of Kemper Foundation principals and partners, including the Bilingual/ESL Education Association of the Metroplex (Dallas), the Florida Association for Bilingual Education, the California Association for Bilingual Education, and GPSN.

"We are incredibly proud to support this dedicated group of educators who are making a lasting impact on their bilingual students," said Barbara Ciesemier, President of The Kemper Foundation. "By equipping teachers with the resources and professional development they need, we’re not only helping them create enriched learning environments but also contributing to meaningful academic growth. It's inspiring to see how the Read Conmigo grants are enhancing students’ bilingual abilities and overall classroom engagement."

"Bilingual classrooms face unique challenges compared to monolingual ones, such as learning content in two languages and needing materials that foster both linguistic and cultural development," said fifth grade teacher, Brittany Braisted, Read Conmigo grant recipient from Gator Run Elementary School in Westin, Florida. "The grant has helped tackle these challenges by providing resources specifically made for bilingual instruction. This has allowed me to use differentiated teaching strategies that promote language learning while covering grade-level content, which will help my students improve academically and strengthen their language skills."

About The Kemper Foundation

The Kemper Foundation is the philanthropic partner of Kemper Corporation and focuses on support for charitable causes and organizations in education, health and community development. Through our owned-programs, key partnerships, financial donations, and Kemper employee volunteerism, we aim to make a meaningful difference in the communities where we live and work.