Minneapolis – The Minnesota Business Partnership (MBP) today announced that Bridge2Read will be presented with the 2024 Minnesota’s Future Award. Since 2006, the Minnesota’s Future Award has recognized high-performing schools and education programs for innovation and success in helping all students succeed.

The Bridge2Read program – which is run by nonprofit ServeMinnesota – will be honored at the Minnesota Business Partnership’s Annual Dinner at the Minneapolis Convention Center, which included about 800 business, civic, and political leaders. ServeMinnesota CEO Julia Quanrud will deliver brief remarks at the event.

Bridge2Read is an exceptional program with a mission to improve literacy for students in schools across the state of Minnesota. This free program trains teachers with the science of how children learn to read.  The classroom instructional tools deliver clear, daily instruction in phonological awareness and word study. Bridge2Read is designed to give students additional practice on carefully sequenced literacy skills, and teachers are trained and supported on this instruction by literacy experts.

In 2023, the Minnesota legislature passed the Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, known as the READ Act. The goal of this legislation is for every student, beginning in kindergarten, to read at or above grade level every year. The READ Act funds professional development, evidence-based curriculum, and other tools grounded in the science of reading to help support schools transforming their reading instruction.

“The Bridge2Read program has helped hundreds of teachers and thousands of students across Minnesota harness the science of reading to lift student achievement,” said Kurt Zellers, CEO of the Minnesota Business Partnership. “We’re proud to honor ServeMinnesota and the Bridge2Read program for ensuring Minnesota students receive evidence-based literacy education and help give them a lifetime of continued learning.”

Julia Quanrud, CEO of ServeMinnesota, said: “We’re grateful to the Minnesota Business Partnership and its members for this recognition. Thanks to investments like those made by SPS Commerce in Bridge2Read and by Target to expand Reading Corps nationally, our made-in-Minnesota programs improve educational outcomes for more than 85,000 students each year. Our goal is simple: Support teachers and help students thrive so they’re ready for Minnesota’s future workforce needs. These investments enable ServeMinnesota to lead the nation in high-impact service that drives life-changing results for kids.”

Event Details
2024 Minnesota Business Partnership Annual Dinner
Thursday, October 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m. (Bridge2Read award at approximately 7:30 p.m.)
Minneapolis Convention Center Ballroom