| 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, launched a campaign today aimed at strengthening literacy for boys and young men of color across New Jersey’s largest city. 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.
“Summer break is underway for young people across Newark,” said Robert Clark, Founder & CEO, Newark Opportunity Youth Network. “To help prioritize reading, MBK Newark worked with educators and experts to curate MBK’s Summer Reading List for Boys and Young Men of Color. We look forward to engaging with the community in the weeks and months ahead to encourage reading across the city.”
The last day of school for Newark Public Schools was Friday, June 21. 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.
“As a former educator and principal in Newark, I understand how important reading is for lifelong success,” said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “In response to alarming test scores last summer, my administration launched a comprehensive 10-point Youth Literacy Action Plan to address child literacy starting with prenatal care and expanding through third grade. We are making progress, and I am excited to support MBK Newark’s work to reach even more boys and young men of color through initiatives like MBK’s Summer Reading List.”
In the coming weeks and months, MBK Newark will work 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. In addition, MBK Newark is launching a positive social media campaign (#NewarkReading), promoting literacy by encouraging Newark families to share what they’re reading.
“At Programs for Parents, Inc., we are dedicated to helping children thrive and learn,” said Nayibe Capellan, Chief Executive Officer, Programs for Parents, Inc. “Early childhood education shapes character, fosters creativity and ignites brilliance. Encouraging literacy will take all of us – parents, educators, community leaders and young people – to work together to make reading a priority and accessible.”
MBK Newark’s efforts to promote literacy this summer is 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 view MBK’s Summer Reading List for Boys and Young Men of Color, click here.
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