St. Mary’s School elementary reading program a great success with grant from Hope Farrar Kramer Education Foundation through The Catholic Foundation The Catholic Foundation of North Central Louisiana is a tax-exempt organization whose primary purpose is to accept charitable donations with specific, dedicated charitable objectives. The Foundation accepts donations and creates a contract with the …

St. Mary’s School elementary reading program a great success
with grant from Hope Farrar Kramer Education Foundation through The Catholic Foundation

The Catholic Foundation of North Central Louisiana is a tax-exempt organization whose primary purpose is to accept charitable donations with specific, dedicated charitable objectives. The Foundation accepts donations and creates a contract with the Donor whereby the Foundation will Hold, Invest, and Manage the funds, then make disbursements of earnings and/or principal as directed by the Contract Terms of the agreement.

One of the Funds being held and managed by the Foundation is the Hope Farrar Kramer Education Trust, established in 2006 by Graham and Sarah Kramer. Since inception of the program, 75% of the earnings from the invested donation are accumulated and held until an opportunity is presented to the Kramers for investing in a Christian education initiative. Various local catholic schools and other Christian Programs have received benefits from this program over the years.

In July, 2023, under the direction of the Kramer Family, a grant of $10,000 was provided to St. Mary’s Catholic School, Natchitoches, LA for the acquisition and implementation of an enhanced elementary reading program. A year later, in August, 2024, the Kramer family and Foundation received a “Program Report” on the effectiveness of the new reading program at St. Mary’s School. The School Principal reports that the program was a huge success. His conclusion in the report is as follows:

“The elementary reading program has been a resounding success, with significant improvement in reading levels, comprehension, and student engagement. As with anything there are challenges, but by addressing the challenges and building on the program’s strengths, the school can continue to foster a love for reading and ensure that all students achieve literacy proficiency. The positive results indicate a bright future for the continued development of literacy skills in our elementary students.”

The teachers also enjoy implementing the new program and appreciate the results. A few of the teacher comments are:“This curriculum, in comparison to our previous, certainly hits the ground running and moves quickly in the direction of new reading skills.”
“The new reading program was a phenomenal experience for both teachers and students.”
“The program, overall, is engaging, interesting, motivating, modern, and leads to successful learning. We have selections that cover various categories of science, social studies, literature, the arts, and more. We cover topics of natural resources, natural disasters, geography, community service, poetry and more. The kids love it!”

This is just one of the great accomplishments that have been made by investments held and managed by the Catholic Foundation of North Central Louisiana. Many thanks to The Kramer Family for establishing this trust in our foundation. If you would like to know more about The Foundation, please review our website – www.catholicfoundationalexandria.org, and feel free to contact any board member listed on the site or our President, Curtis Meaux at 318-487-9222 or email to president@catholicfoundationalexandria.org.