The Children’s Literacy Foundation Brings Storytellers and Books to the YMCA of Greater Nashua’s child care and summer literacy programs through a Summer Readers Grant

Children served by the YMCA of Greater Nashua’s Early Education Center and Power Scholars Academy were treated to storytelling presentations from presenter Marv Klassen-Landis (at the Early Education Center) and Simon Brooks (at Amherst Street Elementary School and Fairgrounds Elementary School). Additionally, due to the generosity of a grant from the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) the children were treated with brand-new books to keep and take home. The storytellers led interactive presentations for children in the YMCA’s Early Education Center at the Merrimack YMCA and youth participating in Power Scholars Academy held at Fairgrounds Elementary School and Amherst Street Elementary School. At the end of the presentation, each child selected books to keep from hundreds of titles.

Author & Illustrator Marv Klassen-Landis

CLiF awards Summer Readers grants to organizations serving kids at high risk of experiencing a “summer slide” in literacy skills. The partnership between the YMCA of Greater Nashua and CLiF reached our community’s young readers who are at greatest risk.

Research shows that children who don’t read over summer vacation tend to lose literacy skills while children who do read improve their reading abilities. Low-income children and youth often experience greater summer learning losses than their higher-income peers.

Storyteller Simon Brooks

“We value our partnership with the Children’s Literacy Foundation. It’s a highlight of our summer for the children who get to participate in these events. Each kid is able to take books home with them to continue their reading. The fun-filled days of summer should always include pleasure reading in a child’s most favorite subjects,” said Mike LaChance, Chief Executive Officer at the YMCA of Greater Nashua

About the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF):
CLiF is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1998. Its mission is to nurture a love of reading and writing among low-income, at-risk, and rural children in New Hampshire and Vermont. CLiF has inspired more than 350,000 young readers and writers through literacy program grants and has given away more than $10 million in new, high-quality children’s books. For more information visit www.clifonline.org.

About the YMCA of Greater Nashua:

The YMCA of Greater Nashua is stands as a cornerstone of community support. The YMCA has established over 150 collaborative partnerships, making significant strides in addressing the diverse needs of residents. Recent recognition as an Engage Every Student Champion by the Department of Education speaks volumes about the YMCA’s commitment to at risk youth in our community, by addressing educational gaps such as summer learning loss.  With a focus on the well-being of individuals and families, the YMCA’s impact is profound, evident through serving 48,000 individuals, 18,000 of these individuals being under age 18.  The YMCA of Greater Nashua is a four-star rated charity with Charity Navigator and is incredibly grateful to the support of its donors.

For more information on the YMCA of Greater Nashua and our Power Scholars Academy visit www.nmymca.org or call 603-598-1533.