"If we change the story of literacy, we change life chances for children."
The family foundation of Polybius Games — where the story that built a brand goes to work for the children who need it most.
Our mission
For over a decade, our mission has been to create a sustainable solution to significantly raise literacy attainment in the next generation of children — by inspiring them to read through immersive, location-based technology and experiences.
It's the same conviction Spy Quest was built on: children learn best when they're inside the story. The Foundation exists to take that idea to the children the market doesn't reach.
Why it matters
The challenge. Low literacy is one of the strongest predictors of future incarceration. Children who cannot read by Grade 3 are far more likely to disengage from school, and adults with low literacy face limited employment options and increased contact with the justice system.
The opportunity. High-quality literacy interventions cost a fraction of prison construction and operations. Even a 10% improvement in low-level literacy can reduce long-term incarceration by up to 30% — avoiding thousands of future prison cells and saving billions.
Why philanthropy. Philanthropy can act earlier, more flexibly and more boldly than government. Strategic investment in literacy creates generational change — strengthening families, communities and economies. We have the partners and the proven successes; we need help reaching more children.
"In a world where some children have significantly more contact with a screen than a page, Spy Quest offers them the opportunity to develop higher-order thinking skills: to create, to evaluate, to analyse and to apply skills within an exciting context that motivates them." — Fiona McLaren, Craigbank Primary School, in the Scottish Book Trust
Join us
Visit the Foundation's own site at p-ng.foundation to learn more, subscribe for updates, or get involved — and read about the wider movement at the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.