A Preview from the 2026 Community Progress Report

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• Feature Stories: see how community leaders are using TMT's data for good

• Explore the Connections: community challenges don't exist in isolation and neither do solutions. See how the data points connect

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This is an excerpt from the Education & Lifelong Learning Chapter
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One conversation can change a child's future.
 
For one young girl in United Readers, that conversation came after a reading assessment.
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She had spent months learning the building blocks of reading through phonemic awareness, practicing sounds, blending words, and growing more confident each week. When AmeriCorps member Jeanne told her how well she had done, the little girl paused.
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"Nobody has ever told me I was smart before."
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The moment has stayed with Jeanne ever since.
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"She had made tremendous progress," Jeanne recalled. "All she needed was for someone to believe in her."
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​The full 2026 Community Progress Report, with every chapter, releases September 23 at Accentuate the Positive.