Posted: Monday, May 23, 2016

Public Education Partners Celebrates Make Summer Count!

Event celebrates 201,300 free books for more than 18,300 Greenville County students

Public Education Partners (PEP) kicked off its annual Make Summer Count reading program today at East North Street Academy. PEP’s Make Summer Count program sponsors free book fairs at 29 Greenville County elementary schools with at least 50 percent of their students qualifying for free or reduced price meals. The more than 18,300 students at these schools are able to choose up to 11 free books from a total of 201,300 to build home libraries and stabilize reading achievement over the summer.

Summer reading loss throughout elementary school leaves many children with an accumulated gap in reading achievement of almost two years by the end of sixth grade. “Much like building a house, building better readers requires the proper tools,” Grier Mullins, Executive Director of Public Education Partners, said. “Books are essential tools for learning to read. Our supporters are committed to helping us nurture eager readers.”

“When children are able to choose books they are interested in and are on their level, they are more likely to spend time reading for pleasure during the summer,” Mullins said. “We have worked closely with Scholastic and the schools to ensure students have a selection of new

books that are both interesting and on their reading level.”

“Every student, regardless of their background, should have access to reading materials at home to help them become better readers and to enjoy reading. We extend our appreciation to Public Education Partners and their supporters for making this possible,” said Dr. W. Burke Royster, Superintendent of Greenville County Schools.

 PEP’s Make Summer Count program is made possible by the support of hundreds of corporations, foundations, and individuals. Since 2012, PEP has invested more than $2 million to make Make Summer Count for 29,000 students. For more information on Make Summer Count and other PEP initiatives, please call 864-233-4133.

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Public Education Partners (PEP) collaborates with community partners to support and strengthen student achievement in Greenville, South Carolina. Additionally, PEP fosters innovation and student success in schools and deepens connections between schools and the community.

Additional Information:

The 29 Greenville County elementary schools participating in PEP’s Make Summer Count program are:

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