Volunteers from the Black Child Development Institute hand out reading material and Reading Checkup information to families.
When COVID-19 forced schools to close almost a year ago, dozens of Mecklenburg County community groups came together to figure out how to help.
Now, with students returning to classrooms, they re still working together. Munro Richardson of Read Charlotte, a group that supports early literacy, said today s environment poses new challenges and opportunities.
Munro Richardson, executive director of Read Charlotte
Groups that normally offer summer learning programs are still trying to figure out whether in-person programs will be allowed, whether Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will host programs at schools and how private groups efforts will mesh with the prospect of a state-mandated summer school program. Richardson said they ll need to get details locked in this month.
Munro Richardson, executive director of Read Charlotte If you look at 2019, which is the last year that we had third grade state test scores, 72% of white third-graders were reading at college and career ready, he said. But it was only 35% for Black third-graders and 29% for Hispanic third-graders.
Richardson, whose group works to build early reading skills, says there’s a risk that the pandemic could leave a lasting scar like a forest fire marking the rings of a growing tree. I’m worried about this negative tree ring, if you will, for our children of the pandemic, he said. And so it’s really up to us as adults to try to come together and both identify where our kids are at and do our best work to get them the support, but it’s going to take all of us.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ In response to Mecklenburg County s ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, WellCare is partnering with Crossroads Corporation, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership, Grier Heights Community Center, and Power 98 FM to provide free COVID-19 testing and information on accessing resources in the community.
Testing will take place during the Health for the Holidays Drive-Thru event on Sat., Dec. 12 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Grier Heights Community Center located at 3100 Leroy Street in Charlotte.
During the event, StarMed Healthcare will offer screenings at no cost, including to those without health insurance. No appointments are needed but registration is strongly encouraged. Results will be available in 48 to 72 hours following testing.