Lynn schools, non-profits join forces to promote literacy

LYNN – The Lynn public schools and non-profit organizations across the city are joining forces to promote literacy.Fueled by a $250,000 grant from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley announced a groundbreaking collaboration Monday. The partnership includes the United Way, the Department of Early Education and Care, Lawrence Public Schools, BOSTnet and community-based organizations focused on increasing literacy among children and youth.Through the collaboration, organizations like the Greater Lynn YMCA School’s Out Program, the Gregg Neighborhood House Afterschool Program and Girls Incorporated of Greater Lynn are funded to work with the Lynn schools. The concept is to share curriculum and create enriching learning experiences for children through fun activities.The effort has placed particular focus on reducing summer learning loss by integrating literacy curriculum and coaches into summer programs.”For children to succeed, literacy programs must begin before kindergarten and extend beyond schools into early childhood centers, summer programs and other out-of-school-time programs,” said Maryellen Coffey, executive director of BOSTnet.Across academic research, third-grade reading levels are considered a direct indicator of whether children will succeed in school and graduate on time. Across Massachusetts, however, 43 percent of third-grade children are reading below grade-level, according to the United Way. In Lynn, that number has jumped to 63 percent.”There’s a clear role that out-of-school-time programs can play in helping children develop the skills they need to succeed in schools,” said Michael K. Durkin, president of United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley, which last year opened a community service office on Union Street.”By better aligning these programs with schools and creating more opportunities for literacy education, we can help close the achievement gap across the state.”