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If you are interested in learning more about starting the Summer Literacy Program in your faith community, please email Courtney Ingram at the NC Rural Center.
A core value of the Summer Literacy Initiative is community investment. Each program is designed to be supported by and rooted in the local community. In addition to the congregation’s support, there are a number of NC funders who help support congregations and communities as they implement this program.
Donations may be made to support the Summer Literacy Initiative: Congregations Empowering Young Readers to the N.C. Rural Center, or to the North Carolina or Western North Carolina Conferences of the United Methodist Church.
With guidance and resources from statewide network partners, the host congregation partners with public local schools to identify rising 1st-3rd graders who are in high need of summer reading intervention, as demonstrated by district assessment showing a reading level at risk of not meeting grade level standards. All eligible students are invited to apply for the program.
Yes, the Summer Literacy Program is a free program for all students and their families.
A typical day begins with breakfast and a morning meeting to help students feel welcomed and ready to learn. Students then rotate through structured literacy activities focused on word recognition, language comprehension, writing, knowledge building, and guided practice. Throughout the morning, children have built-in movement and brain breaks to help them reset and stay engaged. After lunch, the afternoon is dedicated to enrichment activities. These may include STEM explorations, arts and crafts, music lessons, community events, field trips, guest “teach-ins,” and time for creative and unstructured play. An afternoon snack is provided, and most programs conclude around 3:00 p.m. One evening each week, the host congregation holds a family engagement night. During this time, dinner is served, families can connect one-on-one with teachers, and teachers provide strategies and resources to support the child’s literacy journey at home.
Summer Literacy Programs are located in the facilities of faith communities across NC. To view the current map of programs, visit our Interactive Map.
The Summer Literacy Initiative brings together many partners collaboratively supporting the development, implementation, and growth of this initiative. Current partners in this initiative include The Duke Endowment, North Carolina and Western North Carolina Conferences of the United Methodist Church, NC Rural Center, The Impact Center at FPG, American Institutes for Research, and several key consultants.
Students participating in SLI programs have demonstrated reading growth ranging from the equivalent of 2.6 to 5.2 months of learning each summer. Students also consistently grow their confidence; each summer, we have seen a 6 to 9 percentage point increase in the number of students who agree with the statement, “I am a good reader.”
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