Case Study: Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation boosts literacy and preserves language with Renaissance myON Reader

Yavapai Nation uses Renaissance myON Reader to boost literacy and preserve native language

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, a 950-member Native American tribe in Arizona, wanted to boost early literacy while preserving its endangered Yavapai language, with only about 30 fluent speakers remaining. The tribe needed a way to give students broader access to books and reading materials, and it turned to Renaissance and its myON Reader platform.

Renaissance helped Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation implement myON Reader for K–8 students, providing 24/7 access to digital books in English and Yavapai, including six original Yavapai eBooks created with tribal elders. The program supported reading practice, language preservation, and cultural learning, contributing to stronger literacy outcomes, an 80% or higher high school graduation rate, and a renewed enthusiasm for reading and the Yavapai language.

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

Bill Myhr

Education Division Director