Johnston County Board of Commissioners Proclaims Summer Learning Week

Johnston County – On May 19th, the Johnston County Board of Commissioners proclaimed July 14-18, 2025, as Summer Learning Week. The proclamation was presented by Janelle Stephenson, co-chair of Read to Grow Johnston County’s Summer Learning Loss Action Team. The week emphasizes the importance of keeping kids learning throughout the summer to ensure they return to school ready to succeed. Janelle announced the Paws for Reading events Read to Grow will host in July to celebrate in conjunction with National Summer Learning Week.
 
Paws for Reading offers children up to age eight the opportunity to adopt a stuffed pet and name it with a special certificate. Children will choose a book to take home and pledge to read with their new reading pal for 20 minutes a day during the summer. In addition, each event will have a celebrity reader, including County Commissioner Chair, Butch Lawter, and Board of Education Chair, Lyn Andrews. This will be the fifth summer of Paws for Reading, with over 338 children receiving a reading pet last year.

Paws for Reading Events:
July 14^th  –  Selma Public Library, 3 – 4 pm
               –  St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 6 – 7 pm
July 15^th  –  Princeton Public Library, 10 – 11 am
               –  First Christian Church, 7 – 8 pm                         
July 16^th  –  Smithfield Public Library, 10 – 11 am
July 17^th  –  Partnership for Children Park, 9:30 – 10:30 am
                –  The Clayton Center, 3 – 4 pm
July 18^th  –  Johnston Court Apartments, 11:30 – 12:30 pm  
               –  Kenly Public Library, 2 – 3 pm
July 19^th  –  Benson Public Library, 10 – 11 am
 
The Summer Learning Loss Action Team believes summer is an opportunity for children performing below grade level to catch up to their higher-achieving peers. To close this gap, Read to Grow is partnering with four summer programs to implement Summer Literacy Infusion (SLI) curriculum. SLI includes reading aloud, reading independently, writing, and playing literacy games 4-5 times per week, while also promoting reading at home with daily reading logs. By educating about the effects of summer learning loss and empowering parents, educators, legislators, and the community to advocate for summer learning opportunities, we can increase the potential for every child to succeed in school and life.
 
About Read to Grow Johnston County
 
Read to Grow consists of a variety of community members, including business leaders, faith community members, families, the Partnership for Children of Johnston County, My Kids Club, Johnston County Public Schools, and their Board of Education. As a collaborative group, Read to Grow aims to connect resources, develop initiatives, and achieve the targets set to impact the three pillars of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR), kindergarten readiness, chronic absenteeism, and summer learning loss. For more information, follow Read to Grow JoCo on Facebook, and to get involved, contact Heather Machia at hmachia@pfcjc.org or 919-397-7822.