About EWDC

While many children across the Washington Metro Area have the tools they need to succeed, too many have fallen behind. And with COVID-19 exacerbating educational and economic disparities, the success gap among our children is widening each and every day.   

• Reading proficiency among Black 3rd graders is only 24%, significantly lower than their white peers (76% proficiency rate)  
• Families with incomes of $100,000+ have nearly 2x the number of books than families with less than $35,000 in annual income. Hispanic and Black children have fewer books at home than white, multi-racial, Asian or children of other racial backgrounds.  
• Only 45% of DC Public School students reported feeling loved, challenged, and supported at school.  

For these children to truly thrive, they need more than a focus on homework and test scores. They need to feel engaged, encouraged, and inspired. They need to feel supported. That is where Everybody Wins DC comes in.  

Since 1995, EWDC has used books and reading to help children develop the foundational skills needed to succeed in the classroom and beyond. We build social-emotional skills, support literacy fluency, and foster a love of reading and learning. We change children’s lives for the better. But it isn't just the children who benefit from reading. By creating connections through reading, we help whole communities thrive. When everybody reads, everybody wins. 

Today, EWDC offers students, schools, and community partners three distinct reading-based programs designed to fill critical support gaps for children so that they can have a fair and equitable shot at success.