- New initiative combats “summer slide” and encourages Houston-area elementary students to read -

As Houston-area students enjoy the summer break from the classroom, Reliant and the Astros Foundation have unveiled a new incentive-based reading program designed to keep students learning. “Slide Into Summer Reading” is a twist on the “summer slide,” which occurs when students – predominately younger and disadvantaged – can lose up to two months of reading achievement while out of school for the summer, negatively impacting their education for years to come.

As the Official Energy Provider of the Houston Astros and a member of the team’s Community Leaders program, Reliant is joining with the Astros Foundation to recruit 6,000 elementary students across the greater Houston area to become “Reliant Readers” with the goal of reading 60,000 hours this summer. Reliant is donating more than 3,000 free books, backpacks, bookmarks and healthy snacks to be delivered at kickoff events throughout the area.

The new Slide Into Summer Reading program features a book club, reading rallies and educational resources in addition to book distributions. Students will record their reading hours through an online reading log and receive prizes, such as a free ticket to a Houston Astros game in August, based on the number of hours they read.

“Our goal in creating this program with the Houston Astros is to foster a lifelong love of reading and to combat summer literacy loss in elementary students,” said Elizabeth Killinger, president of Reliant. “We know literacy is key to unlocking a child’s full potential, so we’re excited to see the Reliant Readers across Harris and Fort Bend counties hit it out of the park with their summer reading.”

“Reliant shares our passion for making a positive impact in Houston and we are thrilled to welcome them into the Community Leaders initiative. The Slide Into Summer Reading program is a great example of how our organizations can work together,” said Paula Harris, Executive Director, Astros Foundation. “Encouraging thousands of students to read daily this summer can make a long-lasting impact in their lives, and we look forward to welcoming the Reliant Readers to the ballpark as they earn their tickets.”

Program kickoff events will be held in June and early July, in partnership with the Astros Youth Academy, Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, Emancipation Park, Fort Bend Independent School District, Girls Inc. of Greater Houston, Houston Independent School District and the Houston Public Library.

In addition to the Slide Into Summer Reading program, Reliant powers Minute Maid Park, the home of the Houston Astros, as well as the homes of Astros fans with the Reliant Astros plan. For more information on the Slide Into Summer Reading program, visit astros.com/reliantreader.

About Reliant, an NRG company

Reliant powers, protects and simplifies life by bringing electricity, security and related services to homes and businesses across Texas. Serving customers and the community is at the core of what we do, and the company is recognized nationally for outstanding customer experience. Reliant is part of NRG, a Fortune 500 company that creates value by generating electricity and providing energy solutions to nearly 6 million residential, small business and commercial customers across the U.S. and Canada. NRG’s competitive residential electricity business, which includes Reliant, is one of the largest in the country. For more information about Reliant, visit reliant.com and connect with Reliant on Facebook at facebook.com/reliantenergy and Twitter or Instagram @reliantenergy. PUCT Certificate #10007.

About The Astros Foundation

The Astros Foundation, the official 501(c)(3) team charity of the Houston Astros, seeks to harness the passion of baseball fans to support youth baseball and softball programs, the recognition and honor of our nation’s military, childhood cancer awareness and efforts to reduce homelessness. Our cornerstone initiatives include the Community Leaders program, the Astros Youth Academy and the Astros RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) Program. For more information on the Astros Foundation, please visit www.astros.com/foundation.

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