A Focus on Literacy In Clay County, over fifty percent of the elementary school students participating in our literacy programs made significant gains in reading. When teen sensation Miley Cyrus (pictured above left) made a surprise visit to Clay County, Kentucky, she met many of the students who currently participate in Save the Children's school literacy programs. The "Hannah Montana" TV star hails from Tennessee and was particularly interested in helping children from Appalachia.  Save the Children has been working in four Clay County schools for three years. This past school year, over fifty percent of Clay County students who were participating in our literacy programs made gains in reading proficiency greater than would be expected if they were just attending school. In addition, five percent of participating students began reading at grade level for the first time. Clay County is just one of the rural areas in Kentucky where Save the Children's education programs have a huge impact on children's lives. Our statewide presence this school year included programs in 33 Kentucky schools and one Early Childhood Center. Altogether, our U.S education programs benefit over 35,000 children in Appalachia, the Gulf Coast, the  Mississippi River Delta, the Southeast, the Southwest and California's Central Valley. Hundreds Benefit from Clay County Programs 2008 Reading Celebration at Big Creek Elementary School. More than 400 Clay County students participated in Save the Children's in-school, after-school and summer literacy programs (the after-school and summer sessions also include a physical activity and nutrition component). In addition, the books and software that the four schools received from Save the Children's programs benefitted the entire student body — about 1,317 Clay County students. Book Donations and Teacher Training Save the Children has provided Clay County schools with nearly $94,000 for the purchase of 7,253 hardback "Accelerated Reader" books.  One of Save the Children's corporate sponsors, Scholastic Books, also has donated more than 37,000 Scholastic books to Clay County schools since August 2005. Clay County teachers and staff have benefited from instructional materials and literacy training focused on research-based "best" practices for fostering literacy development.The schools where we work also gain Renaissance Learning software, which is available for use by all students to monitor and measure individual reading gains over the course of the program and school year. Learn more about Real Gains in Reading Achievement from U.S. Programs' Rural Literacy Initiative, 2006-2007 Results.  Give children in the U.S. and around the world the gift of education by donating to Save the Children's 2008 Education Campaign. Your gift today is vital to creating lasting, positive change in children's lives. Last Updated August, 2008  See more Back-to-School Success Stories.