BookSpring recently celebrated the completion of its Summer Success reading program by partnering with Atlassian to give away new bikes at Galindo Elementary. BookSpring’s Summer Success reading program is designed for 1st and 2nd grade students.
“Summer is actually a very challenging time for many students, especially emerging readers,” says Emily Cicchini, BookSpring Executive Director. “Our Summer Success program addresses this important issue head on by ensuring students have access to engaging, relevant and high-quality books in their home.”
Last spring, BookSpring partnered with six elementary schools, including Galindo, to implement the Summer Success program with 671 students. Benchmark data indicates that 80 percent of low-income students lose reading skills over the summer, but BookSpring has witnessed a near reversal, with 68 percent of students making reading gains.
“The hardest time of the year to access books is during the summer, when students are not in school and our library is closed,” says Diane Collier, Galindo Elementary Librarian. “We’re confident those books made a difference to our rising 2nd graders, encouraging them to keep reading during their break and giving them access to do so.”
In June, Atlassian employees built 15 bicycles to give as gifts to students that participated in the BookSpring Summer Success program. Students were entered in a drawing by returning a postcard over the summer that provided updates about their summer reading. Atlassian also volunteered at the end-of-school Summer Success student book selection.
