The Barksdale Reading Institute works to significantly improve Mississippi students' pre-literacy and reading skills.
The Barksdale Reading Institute works to improve the overall quality of public education in Mississippi through strategic literacy initiatives and the placement and support of highly-qualified school administrators.
BRI was founded in 2000 by Jim and Sally Barksdale, who, after researching the state of education in America, became convinced that reading is the most fundamental skill that every child must master in order to become successful.
The Barksdales’ $100 million dollar donation established the Barksdale Reading Institute and funded the Mississippi Principal Corps, a program that trains and develops highly-effective school administrators throughout the state. The Barksdales’ generosity has enabled us to partner with public schools, public universities and the state department of education to dramatically improve the quality of reading education in Mississippi’s schools.
Mississippi will lead when every child can read.
