30th Birthday Celebration
Then and Now…
Founded in 1993 by local attorney John Glasser, Better Basics began by providing one-on-one literacy tutoring and books to 30 students in one East Lake school, Barrett Elementary.
Thirty years later, we still serve Barrett Elementary and more than 30 additional school and pre-k sites. In the 2022-2023 school year, our services reached 28,547 children. Over the last three decades, we’ve expanded services to offer 13 unique programs, including Reading and Mathematics Intervention, after-school and school-day enrichment programs starting as young as pre-K, and extensive book distribution initiatives.
Catherine Goudreau, Executive Director of Better Basics
Support from Birmingham City Schools Superintendent, Dr. Mark Sullivan
““Better Basics has been a partner with Birmingham City Schools and the communities we serve for years. They work with our children who need an extra boost in learning. [...] We want every child in Birmingham City Schools to enjoy successful learning experiences so that they can continue a life of achievement. Better Basics plays an integral role in our efforts to reach this goal.””
30th Birthday Party
On November 30 from 4:30-6:30 pm, we hosted a 30th Birthday Party at our office, 1231 2nd Ave South, to mark the occasion with friends and supporters.
We toasted 30 years of advancing children’s literacy in Central Alabama with a drop-in open house. Guests enjoyed light bites, bubbly, and cake to mark this special milestone with education advocates, teachers, volunteers, and community leaders.
Staff members were on hand to share about Better Basics’ impactful programs making a difference in our community. Guests shopped the Better Basics Bookstore to purchase much-needed books for students and wrote notes of encouragement on bookmarks.
