United Way Hosting Unique Summer Reading Program in Newark

211 Community Impact, in partnership with the United Way of Essex and West Hudson and the Reading is for Life Coalition, are hosting a summer reading campaign to be held at locations throughout the city. The program is designed for youth up to the sixth grade.  

  "Summer Reading Corners" will be set up in five Newark neighborhoods this summer between July 12 and Aug. 9.  Summer Reading Corners will involve volunteers who will read aloud outside in their neighborhoods and also to participate in games like dodge ball and hopscotch.  

According to Catherine Wilson, United Way of Essex and West Hudson Director of Community Impact, "A part of United Way's mission is to cut high school dropout rates in half.  We realize that we must start with early childhood education in order to make sure that we accomplish our goal. The Summer Reading Corner Program is one way to impart an early love of learning."

Each Summer Reading Corner will start at 11 am and wrap up by 2 pm on five consecutive Fridays. (Rain dates will be the following Mondays). The locations and dates are:

• July 12th: 13th Avenue School

July 19th: South Ward/TBD

July 26th: East Ferry:  Terrell Projects

August 2nd: Sussex Avenue School

August 9th: North Ward/TBD

For more information about the Reading Corner Program, call Catherine Wilson of the  United Way of Essex and West Hudson at 973-854-2246 (or email her at cwilson@uwewh.org),  or call Lauren Wells at 973-850-9712 (email lauren211ci@gmail.com).