(Utica, NY – June 2013) United Way, Literacy Coalition of Herkimer & Oneida Counties and Resource Center for Independent Living celebrated a Day of Caring to mark National Summer Learning Day. RCIL’s Youth Leadership volunteers sorted over 13,000 donated books from more than 50 corporate donors which will be given back to the community in the form of community bookshelves.
“Reading over the summer is critical for children to maintain their skills and enter a new school year with ease,” Lara Sepanski Pimentel Executive Director of the Literacy Coalition said. “Some kids lose up to two months of progress over the summer; taking months to get back to grade level, while others are never able to truly catch up. The Summer Reading Book Drive and community bookshelves are just a few ways to encourage summer reading and increase access to reading materials throughout our two-county service area.”
“Our entire community grows stronger when we enhance the education provided to our children,” United Way Executive Director Brenda Episcopo said. “The generosity and support of this effort are astounding and reflect our community’s interest in education. We look forward to continuing this project as well as addressing other community needs in the areas of Education, Health, Income and Community Safety Net in Herkimer and Oneida Counties.”
Summer Reading Fact:
(Provided by Literacy Coalition and National Summer Learning Association)
- Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. Low-income students also lose more than two months in reading achievement.