NEW JERSEY AFTER 3 EMBARKS
ON A ROAD TO LITERACY CAMPAIGN IN 2011!
New Jersey After 3 is embarking on a Road to Literacy campaign in 2011. Thanks to generous support from Reading is Fundamental (RIF), Enterprise Rent-A-Car, State Farm Insurance, BJs Charitable Foundation, Youth Service America (YSA), and AT&T, students in New Jersey After 3 supported afterschool programs will participate in a “Semester of Service” this year, with a special focus on New Jersey After 3’s READS! literacy initiative – aimed to keep kids on a positive Road to Literacy throughout their lives!
New Jersey After 3’s 2011 READS! initiative will benefit over 5,000 students in more than 40 schools throughout the state of New Jersey. Over 15,000 Scholastic books will be ordered through Reading is Fundamental (RIF), and will be distributed to New Jersey After 3 afterschool partner sites, during three separate distributions. Research indicates that literacy programs implemented in afterschool programs, like New Jersey After 3 READS!, can improve students’ achievement in reading and language arts and foster their appreciation for reading as a lifelong behavior.
The first book distribution took place on January 19th, during the week honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Corporate volunteers from New Jersey After 3 READS! sponsors – Enterprise Rent-A-Car, State Farm Insurance, and BJs Charitable Foundation – will play an integral role at a number of the these events by disseminating books, and engaging students in fun reading activities to help cultivate their love of reading!
A special highlight of the January 19th book distributions was Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s sponsored Road to Literacy campaign. For the second year, close to 70 Enterprise Rent-A-Car locations in New Jersey participated in a “Road to Literacy” book drive on behalf of New Jersey After 3. Employees and customers donated new or modestly used books for students in the 1st through 8th grade reading levels. Enterprise Rent-A-Car gave the donated books from this year’s drive to six New Jersey After 3 supported afterschool programs during the January 19th book distribution events.
Together with State Farm and New Jersey After 3, Enterprise Rent-A-Car also helped to produce “Dream Journals” to give to each student who received one of their donated books. This great giveaway was inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream" speech – to encourage students to use their own creative writing skills to record their life’s most inspiring hopes and dreams!
“Enterprise Rent-A-Car is proud to be aligned with an organization like New Jersey After 3. We are excited to be a part of the Reads! Initiative which helps strengthen students’ literacy skills by motivating them to read and encouraging them to develop their skills through real-world application. We expanded our book drive this year to involve nearly 70 Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Enterprise Car Sales locations along with many of our business partners. Through our drive and volunteerism at selected book fairs, we want students to have a better understanding of Dr. King’s mission of hope and peace so that they can apply his ideas to their own lives, strengthening their development as the next generation of civic leaders.” – John Keogh, Human Resources Generalist Manager, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
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VOLUNTEER LOCATIONS:
Volunteers from Enterprise Rent-A-Car, State Farm, and BJ's Charitable Foundation volunteered at the following New Jersey After 3 supported afterschool programs on January 19th!
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Bergen Family Center - Dr. John Greico School
Boys & Girls Club of Newark - Burnet Street School
Kimball Medical Center - Clifton Avenue Grade School
Mental Health Clinic of Passaic - Martin Luther King Jr. #6
Mental Health Clinic of Passaic - William B. Cruise #11
Enterprise Rent-A-Car & State Farm Insurance
Morristown Neighborhood House - Frelinghuysen Middle School
BJ's Charitable Foundation
Boys & Girls Club of Clifton - Clifton School #17
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Proud Supporters of New Jersey After 3 READS!
     
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For information, please contact:
Shannon Boehmer
Community Affairs & PR Manager
sboehmer@njafter3.org
732-246-7981
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***IN THE NEWS!***
January 19th book distribution event at Morristown Neighborhood House - featuring volunteers from Enterprise Rent-A-Car and State Farm!
Click HERE to read the article!
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* More event photos from January 19, 2011
can be found here:
Boys & Girls Club of Newark Cleveland Street School
Boys & Girls Club of Newark - Newton Street School
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