Hood College Receives Grant from Delaplaine Foundation Inc. to Expand Local Youth Literacy Programs

$23,000 grant to fund Summer Reading Clinic and yearlong literacy tutoring via Frederick County Boys & Girls Club, City Housing Authority

FREDERICK, Md., Jan. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hood College Department of Education has been awarded a $23,000 grant from Delaplaine Foundation, Inc., to fund the Hood College Summer Reading Clinic as well as yearlong literacy tutoring for youth in the Frederick community.

For more than three decades, the Hood College Summer Reading Clinic has provided children with an opportunity to improve reading, writing, spelling and word study skills. This grant will allow the Clinic to expand its reach in two new ways.

Access to the Summer Reading Clinic, which is led by Hood graduate students in the Master's in Reading Specialization program, will be expanded via scholarships available to students K-12. Additionally, Hood undergraduate students will lead yearlong literacy tutoring in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County and the Housing Authority of the City of Frederick. The Clinic's scholarship offerings, in tandem with yearlong tutoring, will create a two-pronged literacy and learning support initiative, benefiting students from Pre-K to 12th grade in Frederick County.

"Hood's Reading Clinic and literacy tutoring partnerships provide valuable support for school-aged children throughout Frederick County," said Kristine Calo, Ph.D., chair of the department of education. "These programs also benefit Hood's Reading Specialist clinicians and undergraduate students from across the College, giving them meaningful opportunities to help children strengthen their reading and writing skills. We are grateful to Delaplaine Foundation Inc. for awarding this grant and to the Housing Authority of the City of Frederick and Boys & The Girls Club of Frederick County for their ongoing collaboration."

"We are thrilled to see this collaboration bring together three of our grantees, Hood College, the Boys & Girls Club of Frederick County, and the Housing Authority of Frederick City," said Michele Corr, executive director for Delaplaine Foundation Inc. "This program will develop the expertise and confidence of future reading specialists through direct engagement with students, expand access to high-quality tutoring and deliver meaningful academic progress for students across Frederick County. We look forward to hearing updates on the progress and successes of this incredible collaborative work!"

About Hood College
Hood College is an independent, liberal arts college, offering 30 bachelor's degrees, four pre-professional programs, 20 master's degree programs, three doctorates and 13 post-baccalaureate certificates. Located in historic Frederick, near Washington, D.C., Baltimore and the I-270 technology corridor, Hood gives students access to countless internships and research opportunities.

SOURCE Hood College