About Us
Our Mission
Our mission is to help children become confident, lifelong readers through community involvement and positive reinforcement with measurable results.
[PHOTO OF CAMY.]
Learning with Lucky is an incentive based system that motivates students to earn privileges and incentives associated with their "reading buddies."
Our Vision
Learning With Lucky is based on the idea that kids who learn to love reading will become confident, lifelong learners, and ultimately successful students. With increasing class sizes and decreased educational funding, this program is designed to encourage local community members to get involved in the literacy of future generations. Our goal is to see this program reach all 50 states, enabling children around the country to experience the fun of reading to their “puppy.” By establishing tangible rewards such as earning collars, eating lunch with their “puppies,” or filling reading logs with stickers, this program’s success is measurable and enduring. With over 30,000 graduates, Learning With Lucky continues to encourage community collaboration by investing in the success of our kids, and providing a lasting impact on students who read to their puppy long after the school year is over!
A Tribute to Camy
With great passion. That is how we describe the life of Camy Popiel. Camy was the force, love, and passion behind the Learning With Lucky Program.
Over 30,000 first graders have been given the opportunity to increase their love for reading with one of Camy's stuffed Labrador puppies. Camy traveled far and wide to deliver pups to children and talk to them about the importance of reading.
She was tireless in finding funding for the program so no classroom in need would have to pay for pups. She helped with finding grants, worked with foundations and started an extremely successful golf tournament (she was not a fan of golf) to assist schools with funding Learning With Lucky. And she herself had deep pockets when it came to funding pups.
In April 2018, the Idaho Education Association honored her with their highest award, Friend of Education.
Camy passed away in August 2018 but not before making sure her family and friends were on board to continue her work. Per Camy’s wishes, an endowment was established to ensure that the program would continue to receive funding assistance for years to come.
Camy always wanted to have pups in every state. When she passed away the program was in 3 states. Through hard work and our love for Camy, the program is now in 7 states and growing.
The future of Learning With Lucky is in very capable hands and as she would say, "The Pawsabilities are endless."
We've had over 32,000 successful graduates of the Learning with Lucky program.
That's truly something to bark about!
