Howell Public Schools Receives $3,000 Grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to Support Summer Literacy
Posted on 05/22/2025
5/22/2025 - The Dollar General Literacy Foundation (DGLF) recently awarded Howell Public Schools a $3,000 grant to support The Highlander Reading Express summer literacy program. The funds are a part of a record-setting, one-day donation in the Foundation’s history of more than $13.2 million to support adult, family, and summer literacy programs in the 48 states in which Dollar General operates.
The Highlander Reading Express is the district’s mobile library, which travels around the Howell community each summer, helping students stay connected to learning and reading throughout the summer. The Highlander Reading Express is staffed by teachers, administrators, and support staff who volunteer their time to drive the converted school bus and help students find the perfect book for a good summer read. The Highlander Reading Express will kick off its summer schedule on Tuesday, June 10. The schedule of stops can be found at HowellSchools.com/ReadingExpress.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for its generous support of the Highlander Reading Express,” said Erin J. MacGregor, Ed.D., Howell Public Schools Superintendent. “Thanks to this grant, we will be able to complete the largest refresh of the Highlander Reading Express book collection since its launch in 2018. With guidance from our outstanding media specialists, we’ve added many of the most popular books and series, which will be available for students to check out all summer long.”
“For over 30 years, the Foundation has been investing in literacy and basic education programs in our hometown communities,” shared Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. “Today’s grant announcement is a celebration of our unwavering commitment to student and teacher success. We are grateful to all the grant recipients for their commitment to advancing education and helping students thrive.”
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation supports organizations that increase access to educational programming, stimulate and enable innovation in the delivery of educational instruction and inspire a love of reading. Each year, DGLF awards funds to nonprofit organizations, schools, and libraries within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs. The Foundation also offers a student referral program for individuals interested in learning how to read, speak English, or prepare for the high school equivalency exam. Referrals to a local organization that provides free literacy services are available online here or through referral cards found in the Learn to Read brochures that are available at the cash register of every Dollar General store.
The Foundation also plans to launch its sixth annual The Yellow Glasses Project campaign on July 21, 2025, in which customers can purchase yellow sunglasses at Dollar General stores for $2 each to benefit the DGLF.
About the Dollar General Literacy Foundation
The Dollar General Literacy Foundation is proud to support initiatives that help others improve their lives through literacy and education. Since 1993, the Foundation has awarded more than $271 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 23 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency. Each year, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation provides financial support to schools, nonprofit organizations and libraries within a 15-mile radius of Dollar General stores and distribution centers. To learn more about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation or apply for a literacy grant, visit www.dgliteracy.org.