An Interview With Earl Martin Phalen, CEO, Reach Out and Read

It is not just Reach Out and Read’s rapid growth and scalability, however, that define the program’s history. The Reach Out and Read Program has grown to include not only many more sites, but also a diverse population served. In 2007, Reach Out and Read launched Leyendo Juntos (Reading Together), an initiative intended to support Spanish-speaking families and providers, and the American Indian/Alaskan Native Initiative to serve Native Americans nationwide. In 2009, Reach Out and Read in the Military expanded to a total of 35 U.S. military bases, serving more than 25 percent of children of military families.