PHILADELPHIA, PA — Rhymes with Reason, the educational technology platform that builds literacy skills through popular music, has officially expanded its footprint in Philadelphia through a major partnership with the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS). This milestone brings the program to over 3,000 students, including those in Philadelphia’s afterschool programs and community schools.

This partnership represents a 30x increase in students served since Rhymes with Reason was first introduced to the city in 2022—when former NBA MVP Joel Embiid helped launch the program in local afterschool settings.

"I am so happy to see Rhymes with Reason grow in the city of Philadelphia. When we first partnered with Rhymes with Reason, we knew it was something that had potential for major impact because it is something that makes learning relatable to this generation of kids. Seeing the projects and programs that we support, grow beyond what we imagined at first–is one of the ultimate goals of our impact work.”
- Theresa Rauert, Chief of Staff to Joel Embiid

"Joel’s early support helped open the door for Rhymes with Reason in Philly," said Austin Martin, Founder and CEO of Rhymes with Reason. "Now, thanks to continued investment from DBHIDS and the broader city ecosystem, we’ve scaled our impact dramatically. This is what real, citywide growth looks like—and it’s a blueprint we hope to replicate in other major markets with support from additional athletes and changemakers."

The platform’s expansion comes at a critical time: according to recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the bottom 25% of readers in the U.S. are scoring at their lowest levels since 1992. Rhymes with Reason’s culturally relevant approach—leveraging hip-hop, pop, and R&B lyrics to teach vocabulary and reading skills—resonates with today’s learners and helps schools close the literacy gap more effectively.

What began as a pilot in a small number of Philadelphia afterschool programs has evolved into a cornerstone of literacy enrichment across the city. This growth underscores the power of multi-year institutional support, and the role athletes can play in introducing high-impact programs to new markets.

Rhymes with Reason now sets its sights on an even bigger goal: reaching 10,000–20,000 students in target cities across the country, including Philadelphia.

"We’re proud of what we’ve built here," said Martin, "and we’re just getting started. We invite partners, funders, and community leaders to help us bring this impact to even more students nationwide."

FROM PILOT TO CITYWIDE IMPACT
Founded by Austin Martin in 2017, Rhymes with Reason is an educational technology platform that helps students improve literacy and vocabulary through their favorite music. With a patent-pending system and a proven track record, RWR is designed to reach diverse learners where they are and show them that academic excellence is already within reach.