| Newark, New Jersey – My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Newark, an initiative of Newark Opportunity Youth Network (NOYN) built on the Obama Foundation’s My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, announced that the organization is issuing a #NewarkReading challenge aimed at strengthening literacy for boys and young men of color in the community. MBK Newark marked the start of the campaign by releasing the MBK Summer Reading List for Boys and Young Men of Color in an effort to encourage reading and keep learning consistent throughout the summer months. The campaign will continue through September 30, 2024 when it will announce the winner of a social media challenge where participants will share a video or picture reading a book from the summer reading list. The winner of the contest will receive a $100 gift card.
“September marks the start of school for many, as well as National Literacy Month,” said Mark Comesañas, Executive Director, MBK Newark. “To help incentivize reading, MBK Newark is issuing the #NewarkReading social media challenge. This summer, we created MBK’s Summer Reading List for Boys and Young Men of Color and are distributing books in partnership with the City of Newark and Programs for Parents, Inc., to help encourage reading. We look forward to seeing videos and pictures of young people reading, and we are excited to announce the winner at the end of September.”
MBK Newark is also working with the City of Newark to advance their 10-point literacy plan that was announced last summer, as well as Programs for Parents, Inc., which works with a network of parents to reach young people and encourage learning. Books from the summer reading list will be distributed by Programs for Parents, Inc. MBK Newark will be participating in upcoming events such as the City of Newark’s and Mayor’s Office of Comprehensive Community Education’s Reading Under the Stars event tomorrow, Thursday, August 15 from 5:00pm-8:00pm, Ivy Hill Park, Mt. Vernon Place, Newark, NJ.
To keep learning consistent throughout the summer and to strengthen literacy, MBK Newark partnered with early childhood education experts to develop their first summer reading list for Newark’s youngest learners and boys and young men of color from the ages of 0-24 years old. This summer, MBK Newark launched a positive social media campaign, #NewarkReading, promoting literacy by encouraging Newark families to share what they’re reading.
MBK Newark’s efforts to promote literacy this summer are part of their attempt to advance the six MBK Milestones. Research has shown that the MBK Milestones are predictive of later success and are moments within a young person’s life where interventions can have the greatest impact. MBK Milestone One is Entering School Ready to Learn: All children should have a healthy start and enter school ready – cognitively, physically, socially, and emotionally. MBK Milestone Two is Reading at Grade Level by Third Grade: All children should be reading at grade level by age 8 – the age at which reading to learn becomes essential.
Last year, Newark was one of four cities nationwide to be designated as a My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Model Community by the Obama Foundation. Newark was chosen for demonstrating impact in MBK Milestone Six: Remaining Safe from Violent Crime. The city’s efforts to reduce violence resulted in homicides being cut by more than half, representing a 60-year low in the city.
Since its inception as a White House Task Force in 2014, My Brother’s Keeper has been a beacon of hope and change, inspired by the vision set out by President Obama and fueled by the dedication of communities like Newark. Through evidence-based programs and community engagement, MBK has addressed systemic challenges and empowered young people to reach their full potential.
To participate in the #NewarkReading challenge, click here. To view MBK’s Summer Reading List for Boys and Young Men of Color, click here.
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