On October 8, the seats of a Billings Public Schools auditorium filled up with our youth and their caregivers for our Learning & Literacy Awards Ceremony.

Our whole team was there, and our Friends (professional mentors) took turns handing out awards to the kids they read with every week. That night, we recognized 45 of our youth for the hard work they’ve put into reading, and there were more than a few hugs on that stage.

We weren’t celebrating alone, either. Janet Hardy of Phillips 66 Billings Refinery helped pass out awards, and Dr. Erwin Garcia, Superintendent of Billings Public Schools, shook every award winner’s hand. Seeing the head of our school district and Phillips 66 up there together, celebrating our youth side by side, meant more to us than we can say.

Every one of those awards traces back to the program our Program Director, Natasha, built. She brought her expertise in children's education to our chapter and created an entire curriculum for our Clubhouse Classroom, so our youth get focused reading time on top of what they’re learning at school. As she puts it, “If they can read well, they’re going to go places. It impacts their whole life.”

That’s what makes this work so meaningful to us. Our youth are in pre-K through fourth grade, right when reading either clicks or starts to slip. Our Friends work alongside teachers to give each child extra reading support, so a child who’s struggling gets help now instead of years down the road. For the last two years, every one of our youth advanced to the next grade level. That belongs to them, and to the caregivers, teachers, and Friends who stood with them.

So the gift Phillips 66 presented that night means so much. Their $100,000 will support another year of our Learning & Literacy program, and a group of our kids and Friends got to hold the check up for the whole room. Phillips 66 has been our 2026 Premier Learning & Literacy Partner all year long. Because of this gift, the read-alouds, the one-to-one reading practice, and the summer literacy days keep going. To Janet and everyone at the Billings Refinery, thank you for believing in our youth the way we do.

Thank you, Dr. Garcia and Billings Public Schools, for opening up your auditorium and celebrating with us. Thank you to the caregivers who came out to cheer and keep the reading going at home all year. And to every one of our readers: we’re so proud of all your hard work.

If you’d like to join Phillips 66 in keeping Billings kids reading, you can support our work with the button below.