ONEIDA (NBC 26) — The Oneida Nation's community-wide reading initiative has earned national recognition. On International Literacy Day, Oneida Reads was announced as a 2026 Library of Congress Literacy Award Winner: Successful Practices Honoree.
The Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program recognizes organizations in the United States and abroad that provide exemplary, innovative, sustainable, and replicable strategies to promote literacy and reading. Oneida Reads was selected for creating a strong ecosystem of support for youth literacy.
The program launched in 2024 after Oneida Nation leaders confronted a troubling statistic.
"Our children were in crisis," said Jennifer Webster, an Oneida Nation Councilwoman. "Only 5 percent of our Oneida children were reading at grade level, so we wanted to make a difference and improve those numbers."
The data was impossible to ignore.
"That was heart-hitting, and if we can help just a few kids, you know, what better future for our country," Webster said.
The initiative set an ambitious community-wide goal: 100 percent of Oneida students reading at grade level by the third grade.
Two years in, leaders say the results are already visible.
"They're better at reading. They feel better about their reading skills. They're scoring better," noted Ann McCotter, who works with Oneida Education and Training.
Over the summer, 111 students participated in the Oneida Reads tutoring program and improved their reading by an average of 21.6 words per minute.
Through individual tutoring, structured instruction, and community outreach events, the program is reaching beyond the classroom.
"Every time you read a book or mom's reading to you, you know, that's going to make a difference in your education," Webster said. "It's just amazing what we've been able to do."
Watch the full broadcast story by Jessica Goska here:
The program is also connecting generations. Webster described a conversation with one of the community's elders:
"I was talking to one of the elders who does reading at the civic center, and she's like, 'I'm getting to know this younger generation,'" explained Webster.
Other tribes have taken notice too, viewing Oneida Reads as a potential model for a broader national effort.
Partnerships with area schools, CESA 7, and other organizations like the Green Bay Packers are driving the program's growth.
"It's impressive. People really do care, and it's really what is making Oneida Reads grow and to be successful is because of all of those partnerships," McCotter stated. "I think we're changing lives, honestly, and that's why it matters."
Leaders say they remain committed to the students at the center of it all.
"Oneida's making an active effort to make a difference for our children," said Webster. "We'll do anything to help our kids."
