Reading Horizons’ Curriculum Director, Heidi Hyte, travels the world promoting phonics instruction.

In the last year she has conducted trainings and needs assessments for NYC Public Schools and Public libraries. Additionally Heidi went to Doha, Qatar and Dubai plus she went back a second time to check in with the Rising Star school for children from leprosy colonies located in Chennai, India. Reading Horizons has donated $122,000 in reading software and resources to this wonderful organization.

I think you'll enjoy this documentary produced by Doug Jardine on the Rising Star Outreach mission and its school. We are proud to be associated with so many worthy programs and leaders throughout the world who are empowering others through literacy.

Most of us will not get the opportunity to travel the world to teach children to read but we can all do something. Read to a child today, volunteer at a school, or make a donation to your local school library.

What are your plans to change the world in 2012?

After reading Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh, Reading Horizons management was encouraged to build the company culture of Reading Horizons. Here are some of our employees discussing what they love about working for Reading Horizons:

Learn more about Reading Horizons! >

Here are Reading Horizons employees discussing how they feel about the purpose the company works for:

Help push Reading Horizons purpose along by learning how to help struggling readers of all ages with Reading Horizons Free 30-Day Online Workshop. Sign up now! >

__________________________________________________________

Did you hear? We recently launched the new Time Out For Teachers website for our favorite customers. This website was created for teachers who are passionate about literacy and the proven Reading Horizons methodology. Time Out For Teachers is packed with ideas, lesson plans, timelines, and more - so visit soon!

We are excited to announce that we will be launching a new portal of our website on September 1, 2011! This new portal has been named “Timeout for Teachers” and will be an invaluable resource for our customers that use Reading Horizons in schools and institutions. The portal will be continuously updated with tips and resources that will help our customers utilize and implement our program with even more success.

The new portal includes three different sections:

1. Learn – this section provides professional development for our customers including: method training, webinars, and the Online Workshop.

2. Grow – this section provides implementation resources including: teaching timelines, frequently asked questions, and how to videos for using our products in the classroom.

3. Connect – this section allows you to connect with our curriculum specialists and other customers through our online forum and will highlight one of our customers each month as the “Site of the Month”.

Need a break? Take a sneak peak of Timeout for Teachers right now! The portal can be found at: www.TimeoutForTeachers.org (keep in mind that the site doesn't officially launch until September 1st and some aspects of the site are not finalized).

Inspired by Tony Hsieh’s book, Delivering Happiness (and seriously, who isn’t?), combined with our own plan to break away from the mundane to create amazing customer service, the team at Reading Horizons recently hosted a Waffle Off Wednesday (WOW).

WOW was an early morning meeting to kick-off new business and cultural initiatives that would not only improve the delivery and message of: “We Teach Struggling Readers ‘How-to’ in About 40 Hours!” but was created to drive every aspect of delivering a wow experience for our customers.

• The Definition of Wow According to Reading Horizons:

• Unexpected Surprises – The Customer is Begging: “Delight Me!”

• Enthusiasm – In Voice, Thought, and Action

• Extra, Unsolicited Effort – Going Above the Above and Beyond

• First Impressions – Always Will, and Do, Count

• Solve the Problem – Do it Right the First Time

• Free Agency – Don’t Take Away the Customers’ Right to Choose

• A Swing & a Miss – This is Your Opportunity to Make it Right

• Beyond Satisfied – Nurture Raving Fans

• Takes Work – A Reading Culture with Wow Takes Constant Thought

Not only was Waffle Off Wednesday a representation of our commitment to our customers, it was also an event that fostered unity of mind and purpose among Reading Horizon employees.

For the past few years, we have enjoyed other corporate activities like the famous egg drop contest, art projects, LAN parties, and more. These fun and very creative internal events are part of who we are as a organization: a company on a mission to change the world - one successful reader at a time.