The Kemper Foundation announced today it has awarded grants totaling $150,000 to support bilingual educators in the Greater Los Angeles area. These grants are the first of The Kemper Foundation’s new Read Conmigo program, which launched earlier this year, and the grants represent a key part of the program’s commitment to advancing education by supporting elementary Spanish-English bilingual programs and educators.

Grants of $3,000 were awarded to 50 recipients for educational resources, tools and materials, and professional development. Read Conmigo grants are focused on strengthening bilingual literacy skills and improved learning opportunities for Latino students in the classroom. Recipients were selected based on their submitted application and proposals by a panel of The Kemper Foundation principals and Foundation partners including the California Association of Bilingual Educators.

“We’re very pleased with the enthusiastic response to the launch of the Read Conmigo program,” said Barbara Ciesemier, president of The Kemper Foundation. “That underscores not only the importance of these funds to help advance bilingual education but the continued need to ensure classrooms are supported. The Kemper Foundation is more than proud to be in the position to provide teachers with the ability to bring their vision to life to make an impact in their bilingual classrooms, and ultimately their communities.”

The Kemper Foundation will annually award up to 100 grants of $3,000 in two grant cycles to eligible Spanish-English bilingual educators in elementary public and charter schools. Read Conmigo’s first cycle was launched in five counties of the Greater Los Angeles area. The program is expected to expand to additional markets in the U.S. for the Spring 2023 grant cycle.

To learn more about The Kemper Foundation and Read Conmigo, visit The Kemper Foundation website.

About The Kemper Foundation

The Kemper Foundation, the philanthropic partner of Kemper Corporation, focuses on support for charitable causes and organizations supporting education, health, and community development. Through financial support and employee volunteerism, The Kemper Foundation aims to make a meaningful difference in the communities where we live and work.

About Kemper

The Kemper (NYSE: KMPR) family of companies is one of the nation’s leading specialized insurers. With approximately $14 billion in assets, Kemper is improving the world of insurance by providing affordable and easy-to-use personalized solutions to individuals, families and businesses through its Auto, Personal Insurance, Life and Health brands. Kemper serves over 6.2 million policies, is represented by approximately 34,500 agents and brokers, and has approximately 10,400 associates dedicated to meeting the ever-changing needs of its customers. Learn more about Kemper.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220921005737/en/