JOHNSTON COUNTY – Johnston County Commissioners have proclaimed July 15-19, 2024 as Summer Learning Week. The week emphasizes the importance of keeping kids learning throughout the summer to ensure they return to school ready to succeed.
Read to Grow will sponsor several reading events in July in conjunction with National Summer Learning Week.
The Summer Learning Loss Action Team believes summer is a crucial period that can serve as an opportunity for children performing below grade level to catch up to their higher-achieving peers. By educating about the effects of summer learning loss and empowering parents, educators, legislators, and the community to advocate for summer learning opportunities, we can increase the potential for every child to succeed in school and life.
Paws for Reading offers children up to age eight the opportunity to adopt a stuffed pet, take home a new book, and promise to read for 20 minutes a day during the summer.
This will be the fourth summer of Paws for Reading, with over 250 children receiving a reading pet last year. In addition, each event will have a celebrity guest speaker, such as Smithfield Town Councilman Marlon Lee and former Mayor of Princeton Don Rains.
Paws for Reading Events:
July 15th
Kenly Library, 2 – 4 pm
July 16th
Smithfield Library, 10 – 11 am
Four Leaf Clover, Benson, 11 – 12 pm
Princeton Library, 9 – 10 am
My Kids Club, 9:30 – 10:30 am
July 17th
Benson Library, 10 – 11 am
Partnership for Children Park, 10 – 11 am
July 18th
Clayton Library, 3 – 4 pm
Sarah Yard Center, 3 – 4 pm
July 19th
Johnston Court Apartments, 11:30 – 12:30 pm
July 20th
Raiford Street Park, 11:30 – 12:30 pm
Read to Grow consists of a wide variety of community members including business leaders, faith community members, families, Partnership for Children of Johnston County, My Kids Club, Johnston County Public Schools and their Board of Education. As a collaborative group, Read to Grow is working to connect resources, develop initiatives, and achieve the targets and milestones set to impact the three pillars of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR), kindergarten readiness, chronic absenteeism, and summer learning loss.
