Kelly Curtis Honored by White House for Lifelong Dedication to Childhood Literacy Programs
Washington, D.C. — The White House today awarded a Presidential Citizens Medal to Kelly Curtis for her decades of volunteer work establishing reading programs in underfunded urban school districts. According to officials, Curtis has coordinated the distribution of over 500,000 books to low-income communities since 2010.
During a ceremony in the East Room, President Biden praised Curtis for her grassroots efforts in Baltimore, Detroit, and Atlanta, which have reportedly improved literacy rates by an average of 15 percent among participating third-grade students. The award is one of the nation's highest civilian honors.
Why now: The White House press secretary confirmed that Curtis was selected for the honor following a surge in public nominations submitted through an online portal that received over 12,000 entries last month. Curtis, a former elementary school teacher from Virginia, was not available for immediate comment but is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the National Reading Summit on Monday.