City youth will soon have the opportunity to go through a unique camping experience over the summer.
Elizabethton City Schools recently learned the district qualified for the Tennessee Department of Education’s Read to be Ready Summer grant, allowing a second year of “Camp Read-A-Lot” to be held at East Side Elementary.
“It was such an incredible experience last year,” said Julie Hartsook, first grade teacher at West Side. “This year’s grant process was a lot more competitive with other school systems applying for the funding. We want to thank the State for this opportunity and for them allowing us to continue to build off the success from last year.”
ECS was one of the 212 school systems awarded the grant for the 2017 school year. Now with 2018 funding in the bag, the district will utilize $34,400 to go toward reading material and other activities to encourage students to steer clear from the “summer slide” of reading.
For the newest grant cycle, the State awarded approximately $8,860,000 worth of funding to 203 schools across the state.
Hartsook also thanked the efforts of the State Department of Education for offering the grant opportunity and seeing the importance of promoting reading for the state’s youngest students.
“Camp Read-A-Lot allows students a chance that have a need in reading a better opportunity to prepare for the school year,” Hartsook said. “Last year, we were able to work with 33 students. Each was able to be introduced to a variety of different reading materials. Going into this year, we really saw students that were part of the camp be more motivated to get into reading.”
Since its creation last year, Camp Read-A-Lot featured several special guests, including the Elizabethton Board of Education and Jarrod Ellis of J’s Corner, who provided a celebratory meal. The camp was also able to forge a partnership with Barnes & Noble of Johnson City.
The next camp is expected to start the first week of June, according to Hartsook, and will service 30 students that show a need for the reading assistance. Hartsook added that bus routes will be ran during the camp and that the registration process will be the same as last year.
But in the meantime, Hartsook encouraged the importance of taking time out of the day for students to read with their family.
“Any time you can read with your children, it is always a great time,” she recently told the Elizabethton Star. “Any situation parents or guardians can put children in to read is great. Whether it’s just reading a stop sign, them reading to you, always take advantage of the opportunity.”