Minnesota representatives visit Sonnesyn Elementary for Bridge2Read, Minnesota Grow Your Own Program

On Feb. 28, Sonnesyn Elementary School welcomed Minnesota State Representatives Mary Frances Clardy and Patricia Mueller, ServeMinnesota CEO Julia Quanrud, and other ServeMinnesota leaders for a special visit. The event highlighted the transformative impact of the Bridge2Read literacy program and Minnesota’s Grow Your Own program, which assists adults or secondary students in entering the teaching profession and teaching in their communities.

The visit included a classroom observation of a second grade Bridge2Read lesson led by veteran teacher Leslie Stokka, who has more than 25 years of experience in the classroom. Supporting the lesson was Anny Vega Chimil, a Reading Corps Total Learning Classroom Scholar Coach, who once attended Sonnesyn as a student and had Ms. Stokka as her teacher. Vega Chimil, now studying at North Hennepin Community College with plans to become a licensed elementary educator, is working in the same classroom where she was once a student—a full-circle moment that resonated with the guests.

Following the classroom observation, a panel discussion featured two Sonnesyn teachers and two Reading Corps Scholar Coaches. The panelists spoke about their experiences with the Minnesota Grow Your Own program and using Bridge2Read in the classroom, and answered questions from the Representatives.

Bridge2Read, developed by ServeMinnesota, is a literacy initiative based on the science of reading. As an extension of the successful Reading Corps initiative, Bridge2Read equips teachers with free resources, ongoing coaching, and systematic instruction strategies to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed in reading. ServeMinnesota has worked closely with Robbinsdale Area Schools for the past few years, with funding assistance through a $450,000 grant over three years from the Ciresi Walburn Foundation.