How Lehi is building young readers during a national ‘learning recession’

It was T-shirt and shorts weather in Lehi Thursday morning — and Marie Wanlass’ four kids were eager to hit the playground located at the center of their townhome community.

But Wanlass was equally excited about what was happening adjacent to the swings and jungle gyms in the building dubbed the Lehi Rippy Literacy Center.

The reading center, just steps away from the Wanlass’ home, is exactly what is needed to help her kids learn to love reading.

“For my 6-year-old daughter, this center is going to be amazing,” Wanlass told the Deseret News. “I love that the center has summer school programs for her. She’s struggling a little bit in school, so it’s perfect.”

Thursday was the official opening of the Lehi Rippy Literacy Center — celebrated with a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony that included Gov. Spencer Cox, first lady Abby Cox, Clark and Christine Ivory, and local business and city leaders.

But the Coxes’ participation in the center’s opening stretched beyond civic duty. Thursday’s event was anchored to a pair of key priorities for the governor and the first lady: early literacy and affordable housing.

The Lehi Rippy Literacy Center is located in the Innovation Park at Holbrook Farms — a townhouse development in a burgeoning section of Lehi that features over 200 all-electric residences that were purpose-built for essential players in Utah’s workforce such as first responders, teachers and nurses.

But with the rising costs of housing, many in those professions are increasingly priced out of the neighborhoods they serve.

Responding to that dilemma, Innovation Park at Holbrook Farms was reportedly developed through the “Call to Innovations” partnership between Ivory Innovations and the Call to Action Foundation, and funded entirely through private philanthropic contributions.

Monthly rents here start at just around $1,200 — significantly below Lehi’s market rates. Opened in 2024, the housing development has reportedly reached near-full occupancy.

But designers also prioritized making space for the Lehi Rippy Literacy Center for Lehi residents such as Wanlass and her kids.

The facility will provide free tutoring — and build on the “helping kids to read” legacy of the original Lehi Rippy Literacy Center, which has operated in the Utah County city for more than two decades.

The center is supported by the Stokes Foundation and enjoys a partnership with the city of Lehi to help remedy the early literacy challenges being felt in Utah — and across the United States.

Gov. Cox: Fortifying Utah’s social capital via early literacy

In his remarks prior to Thursday’s ribbon-cutting, Gov. Cox saluted the Ivorys and their foundational efforts to promote literacy and affordable housing in Utah.

“The fact that they were able to (tackle both issues) in one place is truly remarkable and shows the type of innovation that makes Utah special,” he said.

Thursday’s event, added Cox, reflects the social capital — those collective values such as social networks, community ties and volunteerism — that define the Beehive State.

“Those are the networks of trust where we care about each other; we take care of each other,” he said. “It’s why we lead the nation in upward mobility. It’s where we’re not just out to make money — although making money is important — we’re also out to build community.

“And the Ivory Foundation is the perfect example of what we’re seeing today.”

Utahns, of course, need a place to live, Cox said. But housing has become more expensive in Utah because it’s where people want to live and raise families.

“That demand is always going to increase the price of housing — and so the only answer is to build more supply,” said Cox.

“And that’s what is happening in this neighborhood. Today we’re building. We have to build. But we can build in responsible ways. We can build in ways that use less water. We can build in ways that use less energy. And we can build in ways that actually build community and make it affordable for people.”

But social capital can’t happen in a community unless its residents are educated, said the governor — and that’s why early literacy efforts such as those happening at Lehi Rippy Literacy Center are essential.

Abby Cox on Thursday spoke of her own family ties to Lehi and Utah’s educational system.

“I have been so blessed to have that legacy in my life of women who value education — mothers and grandmothers, fathers and grandfathers who taught me the power of education, the power of reading, the power of being a literate person,” she said.

“And that’s what I think is so critically important.”

The first lady said the Ivory family has been pivotal in “getting the literacy initiative off the ground” to ensure all Utah kids have the opportunity to be educated and read at high levels.

“It is not only critically important for the economy … but for quality of life and thriving,” she said. “We have to have our kiddos reading again. We know the ills of social media. We’ve seen this documented so much. But what we’re not seeing is the replacement.

“We have to put the phone down. We have to pick up a book. We have to make sure our kiddos are getting that face-to-face interaction.”

The new literacy center opening signals a community solution. “It’s all of us coming together to help every child learn to read and to be able to be educated and thrive,” said Abby Cox.

Lehi’s legacy of teaching kids to read

In remarks prior to the ribbon-cutting, Christine Ivory spoke of Lehi’s rich legacy of promoting early literacy, highlighted by the efforts of the center’s namesake — the late Hesther Rippy.

In 1997, Rippy spearheaded the development of a literacy center in Lehi to ensure her young neighbors were all proficient readers.

“This center has been operating for over 25 years in downtown Lehi and has tutored tens of thousands of children and adults,” said Christine Ivory.

The country is experiencing a “learning recession,” she added. Reading scores continue to decline. And while Utah’s K-12 schools must play key roles in teaching kids to read, individuals must also meet the challenge.

“Tonight, when you go home, pick up a book and read,” she said. “Read to your children. Reading to children is one of the most important components of having a literate society — and keeping these children reading at grade level and helping them thrive.”

Center director Heather Tucker called Thursday “an exciting day” for Lehi, Ivory Innovations and Call to Innovations.

The center has grown and evolved over the years. Currently, it offers a pre-K program for 4-year-old students the year before they go to kindergarten, an after-school/summer tutoring program for kids in kindergarten through fourth grade, and a volunteer program where older students can volunteer in the program.

“Our mission is to be a place where readers and volunteers can develop the skills to become leaders. … Countless children have benefited from this amazing program — and this partnership will help us reach and support even more children and families in Lehi.”

Collaborating to finding housing solutions in Utah

Addressing housing in Utah, Clark Ivory noted his company and partners are committed to make a difference in housing affordability. The Innovation Park at Holbrook Farms is the company’s first large community connected to those efforts.

“This is a great example of innovation at work that is making a difference with housing affordability,” he said.

Utah, added Clark Ivory, has become one of the 10 most expensive housing states in the country.

“That’s why the governor has made this a top priority,” he said. “We all know that if we don’t see housing in greater supply, we’re gonna have challenges in the state of Utah going forward.

“Now this is a great opportunity for us.”