Know a program that excels in improving its students' reading, writing and critical thinking skills? For the third year in a row, the Afterschool Alliance and the Dollar General Literacy Foundation seek nominations for the $10,000 Dollar General Afterschool Literacy Award.

Reading matters, especially when it comes to the next generation. Since the invention of social media, children have become more in-tune with a short-hand version of writing and a low reading comprehension as they get to the higher grade levels.