Give901
The spread of COVID-19 has disrupted many things in today’s society, one of the most important aspects being our children’s educations. When schools temporarily closed their doors in March, many children lost a quarter of the school year in classroom time, plus any time in summer learning camps they may have had scheduled during their breaks.
Even before COVID-19, according to data, 61 percent of third graders in Shelby County were not reading at their grade level. Considering these facts, lack of lesson time can be especially devastating for young, impoverished learners who may not have had access to all remote learning activities this spring.
“Almost 45 percent of our kids in Memphis are living in poor communities,” says Anne E. Pitts of local nonprofit organization Give901. “These are communities that are mired in blight and unemployment. Without intervention, many of these kids will stay in poverty. Kids can lose up to 50 percent of learning gains during the summer months, but with school interruptions this year, the danger is even higher.”
So, in an effort to bring students up to speed, and with assistance from local literacy promoters ARISE2Read and Porter-Leath's Books from Birth Program, along with local businesses Burke’s Books and Art Center, Give901 has put together Summer Learning Kits for children in pre-K through third grade.
“In the summer, there’s more time to explore, to be curious, and to spend time with others,” says Pitts. “Kids are eager to learn and to engage with the people around them. Having books and learning activities on hand gives them this opportunity to have fun while learning, to read with a parent or relative, and to explore new words and ideas. But over 60 percent of low-income families have no books in the house. Putting books into the children’s hands this summer gives them what they need to be curious and active learners.”
Each Summer Learning Kit contains three picture books on appropriate reading levels, learning activity packs, and interactive toys. Kits will be distributed to children who attend Cornerstone Preparatory Schools, Compass Community Schools, New Hope Christian Academy, and Streets Ministries. This will get kits into the hands of children in Binghampton, Frayser, Berclair, Hickory Hill, Midtown, and Orange Mound.
“We chose these schools and programs because of the communities they serve and their students’ needs,” says Pitts.
Give901 will hand out 1,300 learning kits by the last week of May. Thanks to ARISE2Read and Porter-Leath’s Books from Birth, Give901 has raised half of the funds needed to fulfill this goal. Now, they need to raise money to purchase the remaining books and supplies needed to distribute kits to all 1,300 children. Pitts says that anyone can help out by donating here and that every donation of $25 can purchase one learning kit for a kid in the area to continue their learning this summer, which will help to have a lasting impact.
“At Give901, we believe that education is the key to breaking this cycle of generational poverty,” says Pitts. “If the children have a chance to get the same level of education as their higher income peers, they’re more likely to graduate from high school and go on to college. A child who graduates is a child who is more likely to get out of poverty and stay out of poverty. They become community leaders, business owners, an educated workforce. They’re less likely to go to prison and more likely to live longer and healthier lives. And Memphis grows as an economically strong and diverse city.”