"Hello and thank you for taking an interest in The REAL Program. I am deeply honored to have the trust from families, community leaders, volunteers of all ages and from all communities and parts of my life to help me in my conviction that literacy is a key ingredient for success. I am an early childhood educator, a MASS Literacy Champion, a business person, a professor, a mother, a publisher, a software developer, a daughter and a sister."
Jan Plourde
Executive Director, Founder
Jan Plourde is the Executive Director of The REAL Program, Inc, a non-profit organization which aims to elevate literacy, social skills, and good nutrition for underserved children and families – this in accord with its community-based service-learning model that offers experiential teaching and learning opportunities, book distribution, homework assistance, social programs, and enrichment activities in Lynn.
Jan founded The REAL Program in 2013. Under her leadership, REAL (Reading, Education Assistance and Learning) has cemented itself in its home at 17 Atlantic Street, Lynn; collected and distributed over 150,000 children’s books; placed over 40 little free libraries in Lynn and 12 more in surrounding towns; and provided Before Home experiences for children who mostly attend the Brickett School. Jan, a resident of Beverly, teaches early childhood education at North Shore Community College, and she is the president of Fulton Publishing/Developmental Teaching, LLC that publishes teacher plan books. She is an honors graduate of Salem State University and Lesley University.