United Way, Brevard Public Schools Join Forces To Combat Summer Reading Loss

By  //  September 10, 2016

Students reading doubles over last summer

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LEF TO RIGHT: Shannon Daly (Manatee AP), Kristin Sorokin (Quest AP), Lori Kessel (Quest media specialist), and Tricia Kuhblank (Manatee media specialist).

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – As summer comes to an end, United Way and Brevard Public Schools are celebrating elementary aged children who stepped up to read over the summer  as part of the summer learning loss awareness campaign. 

This summer, 3,484 students at 61 elementary schools read as part of a summer reading contest.  That’s double the number that participated last summer.  Students will celebrate their success with ice cream parties sponsored by United Way over the next two weeks.

Manatee Elementary had the most student participation with 182 students completing the reading challenge.

“I am truly impressed by our students’ determination to improve their reading and continue to learn over the summer,” said Superintendent of Brevard Public Schools Dr. Desmond K. Blackburn.

“Their efforts to combat summer learning loss will be rewarded with their continued academic success.”

According to Rob Rains, United Way of Brevard President, “This summer marks the fourth year United Way of Brevard has partnered with Brevard Public Schools to launch an aggressive awareness campaign to help parents understand the devastating effects of summer learning loss.  To combat the ‘summer slide’, United Way promoted three programs to help kids this summer – United Way’s Feed and Read program which provided nutrition, mentoring, and free books to low income children during the summer school break, a summer learning loss awareness campaign and free access to thousands of digital books on myON for all elementary school children in Brevard.”

United Way Feed and Read

United Way’s Feed and Read program provided 16,580 food packs and 20,400 free books to 3,680 low income children during the summer school break at 36 sites throughout Brevard.

Digital Access to Books

Through a partnership with Capstone and Title 1, elementary school students in Brevard have access to thousands of e-books on myON.com this summer.  Over 5,500 students read 56,860 books over the summer.

About the Summer Slide Awareness Campaign

Campaign elements included awareness brochures delivered to all VPK – 5th grade students that include simple activities to keep kids interested in reading as well as tips and resources for helping kids become readers.  Plus we’ve added an incentive to help encourage reading over the summer.

Brevard Public Schools students who read 8 to 10 books depending on their grade level and turn in results to their school earned an ice cream party.  The campaign also included an 11 week multi-media awareness campaign to include: radio, TV, Facebook, billboards and print advertising.

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