One Cookie. One Purpose. One Brighter Future.

This August, enjoying a Chick-fil-A cookie can do more than satisfy your sweet tooth and it can help change a child’s story.

Every cookie purchased at participating Chick-fil-A Augusta Exchange and Augusta Mall locations helps support RISE Augusta and our work to provide local children with the tools they need to succeed.

RISE Augusta offers free after-school literacy tutoring for students in kindergarten through third grade who need additional support in reading.

Every new school year is a chance for a new beginning. There will be challenges, but there will also be exciting discoveries, new friendships, and opportunities to grow.

From all of us at RISE Augusta, welcome back!

Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and dream without being limited by poverty or circumstance. Yet too many children in our community begin school already behind, struggling to read and lacking the resources they need to succeed.

Summer Sun

A Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson

For children, summer is a time for fun, family, and much-needed relaxation. But it can also brings something educators call the “summer slide”—the loss of academic skills that often occurs when children are away from the classroom for several months.

A huge thank you—and big hugs—to the students, families, faculty, and staff of Aquinas High School for the incredible success of their recent book drive benefiting RISE Augusta!

At RISE Augusta, we often talk about the power of literacy to change lives. This month, we are celebrating a special group of community leaders who are helping make that change possible, members of the Augusta Rotary Club.

Summer is a wonderful time to relax, explore, and make memories—but it’s important to keep young minds active. Research shows that children who read during the summer are more likely to maintain and improve their reading skills, helping prevent the dreaded “summer slide.”

The good news? Reading doesn’t have to feel like homework!

Everyone is stepping things up for a Summer Reading Extravaganza and we hope families will take advantage of the wonderful events and activities happening all over Augusta this summer.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our 2026 Golf FORE Kids Tournament at West Lake Country Club on Monday, May 18!

The Force was strong at the HUB on Thursday, May 7, as families from across our community gathered for a truly out-of-this-world celebration!

Rise Augusta is proud to announce that we have earned the 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid—the highest level of recognition awarded to nonprofit organizations for accountability and openness.

When Abbie Theobald set out to build her Free Little Libraries, she didn’t wait for someone else to step in—she saw a need and chose to be part of the solution.

Because of her, children and families in our community now have greater access to books. Because of her, a child who may be struggling—just like she once did—might discover confidence, imagination, and a love of reading.

That’s the power of one person choosing to act.

Fifteen minutes a day equals over 90 hours a year of learning, bonding, and growth. That consistency can be life-changing!

Learn more.

Senior Abbie Theobald of Aquinas High School is making a lasting impact on our community—one book at a time. As a dedicated Girl Scout, Abbie recently designed, built, painted, and installed two Free Little Libraries, creating welcoming spaces where readers of all ages can discover the joy of books.

When this first-grade student came to us, he struggled in ways that broke our hearts. During his initial assessment, he wasn’t able to spell simple grade-level words, and there were even letters he didn’t yet recognize. He scored a zero.

RISE Augusta and the Harris Literacy Center have joined with a wide range of community partners—including the Richmond County School System, RESA, Augusta University, the Girl Scouts—to launch Get Augusta Reading, a local chapter of the Get Georgia Reading Campaign. These organizations represent just a few of the many partners engaged in this growing effort.

We are proud to share that both RISE Augusta and the Harris Literacy Center—two anchor education partners at the HUB—have been selected as recipients of the prestigious Georgia Reads Award, presented by the Georgia Council on Literacy in partnership with the Governor’s Office.

Every child is unique.  Each learns in their own way and at their own pace. Sometimes it just takes someone noticing the moment when a little extra help can make all the difference.