Uniondale’s My Brother’s Keeper Celebrates Summer Reading at LICM

Uniondale School District’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Community recently celebrated a summer reading initiative with a free museum night at the Long Island Children’s Museum (LICM). Uniondale scholars who tracked their summer reading were able to join the District for a free evening of exploration, music, and community building in one of Long Island’s most beloved museums.

“It is incredibly important to us educators to have a way to promote reading during the summer months,” said Dr. Monique Darrisaw-Akil, superintendent of the Uniondale School District. “My Brother’s Keeper helped students realize the importance of strengthening literacy while providing a fun outlet for them to make friends and enjoy their community.”

While summertime gives students the chance to rest and enjoy the sunshine, oftentimes they do not prioritize the same reading habits that they do during the academic year. As a result, students’ enthusiasm for reading declines, which can have adverse effects on students’ academic performance. Uniondale’s MBK community provided the perfect opportunity to incentivize students to keep their literary proficiency up while letting them satisfy their curiosity and display ingenuity through exploring the various exhibits around the museum.

“Our My Brother’s Keeper members were thrilled to have the chance to give back to the scholars of the Uniondale community,” said Co-chair of Uniondale’s MBK group Dr. Bilal Polson. “Reading will continue to be significant for these students throughout the entirety of their academic journeys, and it is a privilege to assist them in discovering not only its importance, but also how fun it can be.”

Uniondale School District’s MBK is a nationally recognized community by the Obama Foundation as a NYSED-recognized MBK Community. My Brother’s Keeper is a New York State Education Department recognized community that executes programs and strategies that improve outcomes for young men of color. It is meant to help all youth around the community realize their full potential by providing equitable access to high quality schools and programs, expanding prevention and intervention services, and engaging families and communities in a trusted and respectful way.

"Our goal with this summer reading initiative is to ignite a passion for learning that extends beyond the classroom," said Bryan Bruno, co-chair of Uniondale’s MBK group. "By integrating educational activities with community events like the museum night, we are fostering an environment where students can thrive both academically and socially. It's inspiring to see our students engaging with literature and each other, building a foundation that will support their future success."

-continued-

For more information about Uniondale School District, please visit the District’s website at https://district.uniondaleschools.org and ‘like’ our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/uniondalek12.