General Motors Joins the Ranks of Supporters for "The Truth About Reading," along with DNA films, a documentary that aims to change the conversation around literacy in the United States

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- General Motors has offered a generous contribution in support of the upcoming documentary The Truth About Reading. DNA Films and the John Corcoran Foundation are extremely grateful for this donation and the ability it affords our team to bring awareness and solutions to the issue of illiteracy and sub-literacy in the United States. Fundraising for the documentary is ongoing and filming will continue through the spring of 2022, with the premiere of the film scheduled for September 2022.

"General Motors is thrilled to support the production of The Truth About Reading," said Heidi Magyar, executive director of Corporate Giving at GM. "Along with the John Corcoran Foundation, we recognize the importance of reducing illiteracy and sub-literacy in the United States, and we believe that this documentary will help bring attention and awareness to the issue."

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is a national assessment of not only what students comprehend about various subjects, but also what they can do in each of these subjects. One of the measured subjects is reading. In 2019, only 34% of the nation's grade-four public school students performed at or above the Proficient level, showing solid academic performance; 65% were measured at or above the Basic level, showing only partial mastery of the required skills for proficiency. These statistics show the need for further awareness on this issue.

This issue is further compounded if not addressed with actionable improvement plans. Specifically, The U.S. Department of Education reports that 54% of adults aged 16-74 lack proficiency in literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level. (Forbes, 2020). John Corcoran has a passion for bringing awareness to illiteracy in the United States, because he was a high school teacher and didn't learn to read until he was 48 years old. His experience is why he has dedicated his life to helping resolve America's illiteracy and sub-literacy epidemic through by founding the John Corcoran Foundation, Inc. and writing books on his story and experiences. The Foundation believes that 95-100% of all students can become proficient in reading, writing, and spelling. Through a partnership with DNA Films, the John Corcoran Foundation, Inc. has set out to increase awareness, change the narrative, and highlight solutions through this film. The goal of the documentary is to shine a light on the prevalence of illiteracy and sub-literacy in schools and in society as well as inform viewers that there are instructional practices based on science that can successfully teach almost anyone to read, write, and spell.

About The John Corcoran Foundation

The John Corcoran Foundation Inc. was established as a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating illiteracy and sub-literacy not only through teaching adults and children how to read, but also through training teachers in how to teach reading most effectively. The mission of the John Corcoran Foundation, Inc. is to facilitate the prevention and eradication of illiteracy and sub-literacy in adults and children across America, through public awareness, creation and dissemination of resources, and training and mentoring through existing literacy organizations and educational programs.

John Corcoran is driven by his own personal experiences; he has a deep desire to ensure others do not unnecessarily experience illiteracy and/or sub-literacy as he did. When asked whether his many achievements as a businessman and educator suggest that literacy is not necessary for success, he responded, "Think how much more I could have done if I had learned to read earlier." With that core value, he is an inspiration to all.

Since 1997, the John Corcoran Foundation, Inc. has worked tirelessly toward the goal of high-level literacy for all. Progress toward that goal will be greatly accelerated through the partnership with DNA Films to create The Truth About Reading documentary. www.thetruthaboutreading.com

SOURCE Dicks Nanton Agency